The opinions expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Indian Health Service, the US Public Health Service, or the Oregon Health Sciences Center University. AD resources utilized for this project were internal operating funds of the Oklahoma City Area Indian Health Service Dental Branch. Portions of this paper were presented at the International Association of Dental Research/ American Association of Dental Research joint meeting held in March 1990 in Cincinnati, OH.

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Abstract

Objectives: In 1989 the Oklahoma Area Indian Health Service conducted an oral health survey of children attending public schools in Oklahoma to determine the extent of caries experience in the Native American population. Results were to be used to establish program priorities, gather baseline data, and compare the oral health status of Native American children with their non-Indian peers. Methods: A total of 934 elementary schoolchildren 5–6 years of age were examined along with 733 high school students 15–17 years of age. The study was designed so that approximately 50 percent of the students examined were Native American. Results: The mean dmfs for the 5–6-year-olds was 5.06 for the Caucasian children and 10.35 for the Native American children, a statistically significant difference (P <.001). For the 15–17-year-olds the mean DMFS for the Caucasian students (5.99) was significantly lower (P <.001) than the mean DMFS for the Native American students (10.12). Conclusions: The prevalence and severity of caries in these Native American students appear to be substantially higher than in their non-Indian peers residing in the same communities. Further study is needed to identify factors contributing to these demonstrated differences in caries experience.

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Volume54, Issue4

September 1994

Pages 220-227

A Comparison of Dental Caries Experience in Native American and Caucasian Children in Oklahoma

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A Comparison of Dental Caries Experience in Native American and Caucasian Children in Oklahoma

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