Prevalence of dental caries in a group of adult Vietnamese refugees in Norway

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Abstract
About 3500 Vietnamese refugees have settled in Norway since 1975. The purpose of this survey was to investigate the dental health of 200 Vietnamese refugees, 142 males and 58 females above the age of 12 years. The clinical examinations were done 3 weeks after arrival in Norway and included decayed, extracted and filled surfaces and teeth (DMFS and DMFT). The sample was divided into four age groups, 12–19, 20–29, 30–39 and 40 +. Only 9% of the sample was cariesfree. Mean DMFT ranged from 8.7 in the youngest age group to 11.5 in the oldest. DMFS scores consisted primarily of decayed surfaces and mean DS did not vary much in the different age groups. The examinations revealed a higher prevalence of caries in the permanent second molars than in the permanent first molars in all age groups. The present study seems to support previous reports on the caries situation of the Vietnamese which have indicated a dramatic rise in the caries prevalence. In this study the average DMFT was similar to other Asian populations, but less than Norwegians of comparable age. The results suggest a high treatment need in the Vietnamese refugees.