The patterns of dental caries of preschool children in Kaohsiung City Taiwan.
In order to understand caries patterns, we investigated the severity of caries and the distribution of decayed teeth in 1,654 preschool children aged 3-6 years old in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The results of our investigation were as follows: the lower second molars had the highest percentage of caries followed by the upper central incisors in the deciduous teeth. The distribution of decayed surfaces in the upper dentition indicated that the occlusal surface of molars, the labial surface of canines, and the mesial and labial surfaces of incisors had relatively high percentages of caries in all age groups. In the 3 year-old children, labial caries on the four upper anterior teeth and no caries in the lower anterior teeth is basically similar to baby bottle tooth decay. Most caries remained in the enamel at this stage. Dentin caries and pulp involved caries became more complex and multiple surfaces were involved in both 5 and 6 year-old children. We therefore suggest that 6, 18, and 30 month-old babies, at the time of vaccination, should have an oral examination as well, and the prevention program for baby bottle tooth decay plus oral hygiene instructions should also be given to the parents. Dentists, pediatricians, gynecologists, and family doctors should all participate in the prevention program against baby bottle tooth decay. For 3 year-old children who already have caries, increasing the filling rate for them should be a very important thing to do for pedodontic specialists and general dental practitioners alike.