June 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the oral health status of children living throughout the Interior of Suriname in order to define needs for dental care in line with WHO goals and guidelines. Basic research design: In this cross sectional study, dental caries was recorded according to the criteria of the WHO. Decayed, missing and filled (DMF)-teeth (T) and surfaces (S) indices for caries prevalence were used. A total of 951 children from four different regions and between 5-15 years of age, were examined. There was an approximately equal distribution of boys and girls. The children were divided into three age categories. Results: The mean dmfs in the youngest children (5-7.5 yrs) was 11.81 (SD 11.19) and the mean dmft 5.16 (SD 3.93). 17.2% of the children was caries free. Statisticaly significant regional, racial and gender differences were found The mean dmfs of children in the middle age category (7.5-10yrs) was 5.37 (SD 6.42) and the mean DMFS was 0.84 (SD 1.30). A mean DMFS of 2.31 (SD 4.97) was recorded in the oldest children. No regional, racial or gender differences were found in the last two categories. Conclusions: The results indicate that caries prevalence in young children in the Interior of Suriname is high according to the criteria of the WHO. In contrast, children in older age groups were found to experience low to moderate caries levels. This finding has consequences for the organisation and planning of future oral health care which should be focussed on young children. Key Words: Caries prevalence, children, developing countries