The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is an ongoing survey of representative samples of the civilian, noninstitutionalized US population aged 2 months or older from 1988 to 1994, and all ages from 1999 to 2002. The dental component gathered information on persons aged 2 years and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released surveillance data revealing that during 1999 to 2002, among children aged 2 to 11 years, 41% had dental caries in their primary teeth; 42% of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years and approximately 90% of adults had dental caries in their permanent teeth. Among children aged 6 to 19 years, 32% had received dental sealants. Among persons aged 6 to 39 years, 23% had very mild or greater enamel fluorosis.
From 1988 to 1994 to 1999 to 2002, 4 trends were observed: (1) no change in the prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth among children aged 2 to 11 years, (2) a reduction in prevalence of caries in permanent teeth of up to 10 percentage points among persons aged 6 to 19 years and up to 6 percentage points among dentate adults aged 20 years or older, (3) an increase of 13 percentage points in dental sealants among persons aged 6 to 19 years, and (4) a 6 percentage point reduction in total tooth loss (edentulism) among persons aged 60 years or older. The findings of this report indicate that the dental caries status of permanent teeth has improved since the 1988 to 1994 survey, although disparities remain.
(Source: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, August 26, 2005)
