OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the current DMFT trends, and to compare with previous studies done in the same age group, as well as to determine whether primary or secondary dentition is more affected by caries. METHODS: A random sample of 200 pupils was selected, 100 boys and 100 girls. Visual inspection of teeth was done under natural light and DMFT recorded. RESULTS: 57% of pupils were caries free. Caries prevalence was found to be higher in the primary (mean dmft 0.88) than in the secondary dentition (mean DMFT 0.39). CONCLUSION: Mean DMFT of 0.39 is considered low by W.H.O standards where the target is DMFT 2.0 for 12-yr-olds. When compared to previous studies in Uganda in 1987, when the the mean DMFT was 0.5. In the early seventies, research of Ugandan children aged 6-12-yrs recorded a DMFT as low as 0.2. There appears to be an increasing trend in prevalence of dental caries over the past 20 years. This calls for: 1. increase in dental health education, 2. discouragement of the 6-12 year-olds from eating refined sugars and substituting them with fibrous foods, which are less cariogenic, and 3. continued research to keep updating on the trend of DMFT in school children.