March 2006

Objective This paper reports the results of standardised oral examination (dmft/DMFT, CPI) of 1,090 8-9 year-old children from SaxonyAnhalt (Germany) and 906 8-9 year-old children from Budapest and Debrecen (Hungary) to assess the oral health condition after the political changes and the transformation of the dental care systems in Eastern Germany and in Hungary respectively. Method Children were randomly selected from urban and suburban areas in one of the new Federal States of Germany. Hungarian children were selected from Budapest and Debrecen. The clinical examinations were based on WHO criteria. Results The mean dmft of the German children was 3.5 (95%CI: 3.33-3.68); the corresponding mean in the Hungarian sample was 2.3 (95%CI: 2.19-2.55). In both samples the decayed (d) component was the highest within the dmft. The mean DMFT in the German sample was 0.7 (DT = 0.4, FT = 0.3, MT = 0); in Hungary the corresponding means were 0.4 (DT = 0.3, FT = 0.1, MT = 0). Initial inflammation was the most common gingivial condition found. Conclusion In general the oral health status of both groups was poor. The major problem was the high percentage of children with caries that needed treatment. Key words: Caries prevalence, CPI, oral epidemiology, oral health