ENTAL DECAY is considered by some to exert a detrimental effect on L} occlusion; however, there is no complete agreement in the literature establishing the amount of dental malocclusion stemming from the early loss of tooth material. Plater' reported the range to be from 18 to 35 per cent, depending on who made the classification. Where there is a pronounced reduction in the incidence of dental caries among school children it is, therefore, logical to assume there might also be a reduction in the prevalence of malocclusion.The Evanston children have shown a remarkable lowering of dental caries rates since the Evanston water was fluoridated.2 The rates of the control, fluoride-free area, children have remained practically unchanged over a 9-year period.2 The two groups with dissimilar caries rates provided a reliable basis for comparing the incidence of malocclusion among children with high caries rates with those having low caries rates.The dental records provide excellent information concerning the premature loss of the second deciduous molar teeth with respect to occlusion. Many of the same Evanston children examined at 6, 7, and 8 years of age were examined again at 12, 13, and 14 years of age. This made possible the opportunity to observe the occlusion of these children during a growth period.
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