Severity and prevalence of caries experience in Najaf City

الملخص EN

Background : Dental caries is the most prevalent oral disease among children and young adults and is the most common single chronic childhood disease.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the severity and prevalence of caries experience in Najaf city.

Materials and Methods : Data was collected from children in the third grade at the age of (13-16 years) in several secondary schools which were selected randomly from different areas of the city (three schools for boys and three for girls), and from college students at the age of (20-23 years) in several colleges from the university of Kufa in the Najaf city.

Diagnosis of a carious lesion is principally based on clinical inspection and probing, Recording of dental caries was by the application of the decayed, Missing and filled Index (DMFT and DMFs) for the permanent teeth.

Results : The mean of total sample of age 15 years of the DMFT was 3.798 (3.43 for the males and 4.166 for the females).

For the DMFS 4.662 for the males and 5.781 for the females For the sample of age of 21 years the DMFT was 7.447 for the males and 7.418 for the females.

The DMFs showed a mean of 10.593 for the males and 10.766 for the females.

Conclusion : There is an increase in caries prevalence and severity with time as compared to previous Iraqi studies.