As part of an overall educational and preventive dental program, 217 children (53.5% boys and 46.5% girls) from first and second grade in three elementary schools (mean age 7.16 ± 0.8) were examined. Of the children, 54% were Jewish, 44% were Moslem Arabs and 2% were Christian Arabs. The children came from a low socioeconomic neighborhood in Haifa. One examiner carried out the dental examination in a dental clinic with dental lighting using a dental mirror and explorer. The recording was carried out according to WHO guidelines. Caries experience in the primary teeth (dmf) was 5.05 ± 3.50. The total caries experience (dmf + DMF) was 5.73 ± 3.95 of which 84.4% were untreated caries (d/dmf). No significant differences were found in caries experience between Jewish and Arab children. Only 10.6% were caries free. The average treatment needs in primary teeth were 4.36 per child and an additional 0.57 in children with permanent teeth. This low socioeconomic group reflects the disparities in high caries experience, low caries-free percentage and high unmet treatment needs.