Changes in Caries Prevalence of Isle of Lewis Children between 1971 and 1981

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The Scottish Isle of Lewis has an island community which traditionally is a stable population that has little migration of its school children. The island has low levels of fluoride ( < 0.1 ppm) in the drinking water supplies, but the island inhabitants have the availability of all UK commodities. The island has well detailed dental data going back to 1937. The present study (1987) examined dental caries and oral hygiene status in the school community between 1984 and 87 and compares the findings to the previous examinations completed by the same survey team. The caries levels declined during the period 1984–87, but not as rapidly as the decline reported in the 1970s. The main reason for the continued decline in dental caries appears to be the availability of fluoride dentifrices.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dental Caries Changes in the Scottish Isle of Lewis

Cleaton‐Jones

1990

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“…Caries, gingival health and oral hygiene status were examined at the begin ning and the end of the 22-month study period. The measurements were conducted by two dentists previously calibrated for dental health studies [Hargreaves, et al, 1983;Cleaton-Jones et al, in press], and 10% sample of the children were re-examined for exam iner reliability assessment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ultraviolet Light and Dental Caries in Children

Thompson²

1989

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Animal experimental work has suggested that ultraviolet radiation reduces dental caries incidence. The opportunity to complete a study on children in the 1-ppm water fluoridated community of Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada, through an experimental school design study, became possible between 1982 and 1984 as in winter children have to travel to and from school during hours of darkness. Two classrooms at the four primary schools in the city had full spectrum lighting introduced and the 102 children entering grade 5 spent 22 months of study in the same classrooms; 83 (81%) remained in the trial. Each child had DMFT, DMFS, including degree of caries involvement, gingivitis and oral hygiene indices recorded. Results showed that children receiving the full spectrum light had very low or no increase in caries incidence over the 22-month period compared with controls. DMFS findings, excluding ‘sticky fissures’ over the 22-month period, increased from 2.67 to 3.23 in the group receiving full spectrum light, compared with an increase of 2.32 to 4.46 in the control group (p < 0.001).

“…Since the publication of our previous paper [Hargreaves et al, 1983], evidence has continued to accumulate of an ongo ing decline in caries prevalence in wester nised developed countries. A conference to review this phenomenon was held in Boston, Mass, during June 1983; all of the 16 presenters agreed that the prevalence of caries had declined substantially in the several countries represented (Denmark, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway and the USA) and that the decline had occurred both in the presence and absence of organ ised prevention programmes or water flu oridation [Glass, 1982].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a previous paper [Hargreaves et al, 1983] the changes in caries prevalence ex perienced by children of different ages liv ing in the Isle of Lewis over the decade 1971-1981 were reported. This study has now been extended to cover the period 1981-1984, examining data on dental ca ries and oral hygiene status; furthermore, a retrospective comparison has been at tempted with King's [1940] original survey of 1937.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Caries Prevalence of Isle of Lewis Children, a Historical Comparison from 1937 to 1984

Wagg

Thompson

1987

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The Isle of Lewis is an island community which has little movement of its school population and, since the Second World War, mirrors closely the rest of the United Kingdom in availability of foods, introduction of television and educational opportunities. One of the first major dental epidemiological studies was conducted on the island by King in 1937. Between 1968 and 1984 a further series of investigations has been conducted on this population by the present authors; these allow a comparison of caries prevalence at intervals of time over 47 years. The findings show a marked increase in dental caries from 1937 to 1971, an equally marked decrease during the remainder of the 1970s and a further modest increase among the younger age groups studied between 1981 and 1984.