Caries Prevalence in North and South Mexico of School-age Children

Objectives: Dental Caries is a mayor concern for dental profesionals in Mexico. There are many aspects that have a bearing on the prevalence, particularly, in school age children. This study compares the prevalence of caries with the ICCMS detection system in border populations with the US in north of Mexico and population near the southern border (with Guatemala).
Methods: Using the International Caries Classification and Management System, previously known as ICDAS, a total of 234 school-age children (6-12 years of age) from the state of Tamaulipas (162) that borders with the United States, and the states of Chiapas (72), in the southern border of Mexico.
Results: Of the 234 participants, 212 had a presence of caries with a prevalence 90.5% for both north and south. in the Northen part of Mexico 96.9%
south 76% percent caries. In the case of the mean number of caries in the northern state there were 2.78 and in the southern state was a mean of 9.
Conclusions: Although in the northern state there was a higher prevalence, the number of caries we less. There are many factors that can modify these numbers, such as diet and access to health care. Al this should be considered as a whole and not just the location. However the location and the culture impacts directly the risk factors previously mentioned