National survey of the oral health of 5-year-old children in the United Arab Emirates

A total of 1340 5-year-old children were examined as part of the first national survey of the oral health of children in the United Arab Emirates. The objective was to determine dental caries status and compare variations in caries experience in all 9 medical districts. Sampling and examination for caries was done following World Health Organization guidelines and criteria. Only 17% of the children were caries-free. The mean decayed/missing/filled teeth [dmft] index was 5.1, ranging from 3.8 in Ajman to 6.6 in Dubai. More than half [52%] had > 4 dmf teeth. Overall, caries is highly prevalent in the primary dentition of 5-year-old children and mostly untreated

National survey of the oral health of 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren in the United Arab Emirates

This paper describes the first national survey of oral health in the United Arab Emirates [UAE]. Using WHO criteria, dental caries and fluorosis were recorded in 2651 schoolchildren aged 12 and 15 years, and periodontal disease in those aged 15 years. The prevalence of dental caries in the permanent teeth of 12-year-olds was 54%; the mean DMFT [number of decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth] per child was 1.6. The prevalence of dental caries in 15-year-olds was 65% and the mean DMFT was 2.5. For the UAE as a whole, 70% of 12-year-old schoolchildren had no dental fluorosis and 37% of 15-year-olds had healthy periodontal tissues