ABSTRACT
In the village of Mtera in Tanzania 782 patients aged 0 - 60 years and visisting a health dispensary were also examined for oral health factors such as caries; dental calculus and oral mucosal lesions. Decayed teeth were found in 32 per cent of the patients being most prevalent in the lowest and highest age strata. DMFT increased steadily by age and was 0.88;1.90 and 4.75 in age groups 10;41 - 50 and 51 - 60 years; respectively. Dental calculus was not found. The amount of registered calculus increased steadily by age. These results are in positive agreement with previous findings in Tanzania. Prevalence figures of most registered oral soft tissue lesions including leukoplakia; herpes labialis and aphtous ulcers were in accordance with corresponding figures in Scandinavia. The main exception was lichenoid lesions which were infrequent in Mtera. One case of oral cancer was encountered