Incidence of Caries Among School Children in Bang Chan, Thailand, 1953

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Abstract
The teeth of 226 children seven to fourteen years of age attending the primary school in Bang Chan, Thailand, were examined by one dentist. Among these children incidence of dental caries was low. In the entire group 42 per cent were totally free from caries. The average number of carious teeth, both deciduous and permanent, per child was 1.9. When deciduous teeth alone were considered, 56 per cent of the boys and 50 per cent of the girls were free from caries. In the whole group, 74 per cent of boys and 60 per cent of girls were free from caries of permanent teeth. The reason for this low incidence of caries is not known, but in common with people in other areas where very low incidence of caries has been reported, the intake of sugar of residents of Bang Chan was very low. The teeth of ninety-eight persons over fifteen years of age were examined by a physician in the course of medical inspection of a random sample of families in the community. Of these, sixty-eight persons up to forty-four years of age retained almost a full complement of teeth. Most older persons examined had lost a number of teeth and some were edentulous. Some adults had missing teeth crowned. The services of a dentist appeared to have been sought more for cosmetic reasons, however, than to restore missing teeth, as a greater number of persons had sound teeth rather than missing teeth crowned. The possible relation of the practice of betel chewing which was habitual in about half of the adults is discussed. Protruding incisors were seen frequently among middleaged and older persons who chewed betel.