The carious experience of the first permanent molar in a group of children aged between 7-14 years

Abstract

Background. The permanent first molar is the most vulnerable to caries due to its position, coronal morphology and early eruption in the oral cavity. The purpose of the study is to determine the prevalence of dental caries in the permanent first molar in a group of children aged between 7-14 years. Materials and methods. A statistical study was carried out over a period of 1 year on a group of 53 children aged between 7-14 years. Each patient was questioned and examined, noting the dental status of the temporary and permanent teeth. Also, the COE index was calculated for each patient, noting the number of carious teeth and the number of extracted and filled teeth. The data were recorded and processed statistically with the Microsoft Excel program. Results. The 53 children included in the study had a total of 184 erupted permanent first molars on the arch. Of these, 43.4% (80) were free of caries, 8.2% (15) had fissure caries, 21.7% (40) – simple caries, 2.7% (5) – complicated caries and 24% (44) – fillings. Regarding the gender distribution of caries of the first permanent molars, a predominance of boys is observed. However, in recent centuries, an important decrease in the prevalence of dental caries and the severity of molar caries in children can be observed in developed countries and even in countries with a disadvantaged socio-economic situation. Conclusions. The particular vulnerability to caries of the permanent first molar imposes the need for permanent supervision, the rigorous application of dental caries prevention methods, the sealing of fissures and pits, as well as early therapeutic intervention. Since the prevalence of dental caries is very high for patients under the age of 10, it is necessary to adopt caries prevention strategies applied as early as possible.