[Kies-voor-Tanden Study: the incidence of caries among 11-year-olds in the Netherlands]

In this third article in a series of 5 in the context of the 2017 Kies-voor-Tanden Study, the results for the 11-year-olds are presented. The study was conducted among 11-year-olds who lived in Alphen aan den Rijn, Gouda, Breda or Den Bosch and consisted of a clinical oral examination and a questionnaire completed by both them and their parents. Of the 11-year-olds, 61% had caries-free permanent teeth. In 2011, this percentage was 73%. In 2017, there were still differences in oral health among socio-economic groups, to the advantage of the higher socio-economic group. The conclusion is that the oral health of 11-year-olds has not improved in the last 6 years. Despite the low prevalence of DMFS, there appears to be a trend towards deterioration. For risk groups, interventions to keep the teeth intact should be aimed primarily at improving preventive behaviour and good oral health self-care.