Distribution of Dental Caries Among 12 Years Old Adolescents According to Severity, Gender and Dental Arches

Background: Healthy teeth and oral tissues and the need for oral health care are important for any section of society. Dental caries is an infectious microbial disease of multifactorial origin in which diet, host, and microbial flora interacts over a period of time in such a way so as to encourage demineralization of the tooth enamel with resultant caries formation. Aims and Objectives: to measure the distribution of the severity of dental caries among 12 years old adolescents of primary school children in Baghdad. And to measure the distribution of dental caries in upper and lower jaws and in male and female. Materials and Methods: Sample (30 girls, 30 boys) was collected from two primary schools ( (Al-Thaqafa and Al-Badya)) in Baghdad city. DMFS and DMFT indices were used in this study. The subjects were examined for dental caries according to WHO 1997 assessment form. Significant Caries Index was also used to assess the prevalence of dental caries, that suggests that the DMFT index for 12-year-old children can be utilized as an indicator of the state of health between different populations. Conclusion: The dental caries distribution was Higher in females. Caries was Moderate according to WHO, while the dental caries distribution was Higher in lower jaw.