Caries experience of children aged 6-9 years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

This study was conducted to examine the caries experience of children aged 6-9 years in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Overall, 1522 children were examined from six primary schools located in different areas of the city. Results showed that the mean dmft and DFT were 4.23 and 1.85, respectively. The mean dmft and DFT values excluding caries-free children, however, were 5.71 and 2.95, respectively. Only 26.1% of the children were caries free. There was a high proportion of untreated dental caries and most of the carious teeth were treated by extraction. The need for effective preventive measures was stressed.