Abstract
Objective To determine trends in published dental caries rates in Africa.
Data sources Medline search for period 1967–1997. Keywords used were ‘dental caries’ and names of African countries.
Study selection For inclusion an article had to have cleared defined ages within four groupings (5–6; 11–13; 14–15; 35–44), used the WHO diagnostic criteria, the sample had to have been indigenous Africans and contain more than 30 individuals.
Results The search identified 327 articles; 69 were epidemiological studies, of which 45 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Eleven separate African counties were represented.
Conclusion The study showed a predominantly downward trend in dental caries, which was statistically significant for dmft at 5–6 years and DMFT at 35–44 years.
Cleaton-Jones P, Fatti P. Dental caries trends in Africa. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1999; 27:316–320
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Address for reprints: Dental Research Institute, Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050, South Africa. E-mail: 0078cleat@chiron.wits.ac.za
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Sheiham, A. Downward trend in African caries levels?. Evid Based Dent 2, 35 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ebd.6400022
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ebd.6400022