[Dental Caries Status and Trends in 5 Years Old Children in the Republic of Korea]

This study aimed to examine the current status of dental caries in primary teeth of 5-year-old children in the Republic of Korea using data from the Korea National Children's Oral Health Survey. Data from 8,344 children (4,216 boys and 4,128 girls) from 215 daycare centers and 201 kindergartens nationwide who participated in the survey were analyzed in this study. The analyses conducted on the 2021-2022 Korea National Children's Oral Health Survey data showed that the experience rate of dental caries in primary teeth was 66.4%, and the prevalence was 30.2%. The prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth were higher in girls than in boys. In addition, the experience rate level was associated with geography. The rate of severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) was high (46.1%), with one in two children having S-ECC. The experience rate of dental caries in primary teeth is more than 10 percentage points higher than the target of 55.0% in the National Health Promotion Plan (Health Plan 2030). Active interventions are needed to improve children's oral health, such as oral health education for proper oral care and regular dental visits to prevent primary caries.