Pages 768-771 in G. Pétursdóttir et al., eds. Circumpolar Health 93. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 20-25, 1993. Arctic Medical Research. 1994;53(Suppl.2)
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Source
Pages 768-771 in G. Pétursdóttir et al., eds. Circumpolar Health 93. Proceedings of the 9th International Congress on Circumpolar Health, Reykjavík, Iceland, June 20-25, 1993. Arctic Medical Research. 1994;53(Suppl.2)
A total of 352 children, aged 0 to 14 years, in eight communities received a dental examination as part of the comprehensive health assessment that was done in the Keewatin Region, Northwest Territories. Canada. This 20% representative sample received an oral examination that included dental caries, a periodontal assessment, and an orthodontic evaluation. Four dentists were calibrated to do the clinical examinations. The average number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) was 5.98 teeth, with more decayed teeth (2.82) than filled (2.21). The boys in this sample tended to have a higher DMFT score, 6.31, compared to 5.68 for the girls. For the age group 3 to 5 years, the average number of primary DMFT was 8.03, with 4.32 teeth decayed and 1. 75 teeth filled. A total of 77.3% of the children required some type of dental treatment. In terms of specific treatment, 5.1% of the children needed oral surgery treatment, 20.2% orthodontic treatment, 57.7% restorative dentistry treatment, 22.4% pit and fissure sealants, and 66.2% a prophylaxis. The children in the Keewatin Region require an extensive preventive and treatment program if they are to first retain their primary and then their permanent teeth to improve their quality of life.