Oral Status

The Foundation has been instrumental in arranging an examination work in the Khayelitsha township, conducted primarily by two students from the Institute of Odontology, ,University of Göteborg. This examination work constitutes a part of the base line study that involves examination of some 500 children aged 3-6 years.

Instructors were Oral Surgeon Kerstin Lundgren from the Foundation and prof. Jörgen Norén at the Institute of Odontology, University of Göteborg. In Cape Town the instructor was prof. Neil Mybergh at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Western Cape.

During May - June 2007, the students; Selinda Backhede and Maria Jansson, examined 201 children aged 3-6 years.

From their graduation report the following results can be summarized:

• dmft for children aged 6: 6.5
• dmft for children aged 1-3: 3.7
• dmft for children aged 4-5: 5.2
• cavity free children of 6: 6.9%
• The year 2000 goal for the Department of Health for children of 6 was 50% cavity free!

Caries		Advanced caries with gingivitis
Caries lower jaw		Caries and gingivitis

• More than 50% of the central incisors in the upper jaw had cavities, or were missing.
• 11% of the children had cavities in their upper jaw incisors; otherwise no cavities.

Caries upper jaw		Caries upper jaw
Caries		Caries

Pufa index:

• p = pulp involvement, i.e. open pulp
• u = tooth with cavity(ies) causing ulceration of gingiva, chin or tung
• f = tooth with fistula
• a = tooth with abscess

Advanced caries and open and infected pulps		Advanced caries and infected pulps
Caries and fistula		Caries and fistulas

• children aged 6: 1.9
• children aged 1-3: 0.8
• children aged 4-5: 1.7
• 65.7% of the children had no pulpa lesions
• 10% of the children had 5 or more pufa ranking teeth
• 3% of the children had more than 10!

Periodontal status:

• 6.5% of the children had spontaneous bleeding gingiva
• 62% of the children had plaque
• 7% of the children had calculus