Dental Caries Prevalence and Treatment Offered among 12+Years in Dar-Es-Salaam

OBJECTIVES: To find out the prevalence and distribution of dental caries by tooth type and the kind of treatment offered among 12 years old and above at Mnazi Mmoja dental clinic, during the period of 2000-2003. METHODS: Hospital records of the dental patients were followed retrospectively to get information on dental caries and treatment offered. The variables included were age, sex, residence and tooth type. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental caries was 80%. The mean DMFT was 1.35, of which the F component was 4.5%. Extraction was the mainl treatment performed. CONCLUSION: This study shows that dental caries was the most common reason for patients to visit dental clinic, molars being the most attacked tooth and extraction the most frequently treatment offered to carious teeth. The results of this study call in for further studies on reasons for luck of restorative treatment and more emphasis on restorative care.