Epidemiologic Studies in Dental Caries

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Abstract
The serial course of caries development and progression has been studied for individual tooth surfaces during a 4-yr. period. The report summarizes the time required respectively for the 1st appearance of the cavity and for its progression to various stages of extent. Without reparative or other dental therapy, cavities remained almost static for many months. In contrast the initial lesion, presumably carious, appeared in 75% of subjects within 18 mos. after eruption. The subjects had received scant dental therapy prior to the study, and only emergency service was offered during it. Oral hygiene on the whole was poor. Fluoride ingestion was minimal. High salivary counts of lactobacilli were the rule. These facts make the slow rates of caries advance seem the more remarkable. The question is raised as to the degree in which similar findings might be expected among other groups if dental repair were postponed. As a means of gauging caries progression, the authors urge that test cavities remain unfilled during the course of studies dealing with rates of caries advance.