Design: This paper reports the results of standardised clinical caries examinations of 129,941 twelve-year-old children from across the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. These 1996/97 coordinated surveys are the latest in a series which seek to monitor the dental health of children and to assess the delivery of dental services.
Method: The criteria and conventions of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry were used. Representative samples were drawn from participating health authorities and boards and caries was diagnosed at the caries into dentine (D3) threshold using a visual method without radiography or fibre-optic transillumination.
Results: These demonstrated once again a wide variation in prevalence across the United Kingdom, with mean values for D3MFT for the current English 'regions' (of the National Health Service) and the other UK 'territories' ranging from 0.66 in Thames South to 2.55 in Northern Ireland. The mean value for D3MFT across the United Kingdom was 1.13 (D3T = 0.48, MT = 0.10, FT = 0.54). Overall, 44% of children had evidence of caries experience at the dentinal level of detection (D3MFT > 0), although the means ranged between 31% (Thames South) and 72% (Northern Ireland). The mean D3MFT for those with disease at this threshold was 2.55. Trends over time demonstrate an improvement of 15% in overall D3MFT for Great Britain since 1992/93, compared to the 20% seen over the previous four year period. Over recent years the overall trend in this age group seems to be towards lower values. However, there has been no improvement in either mean DT or mean MT since 1992/93, while FT and care index have fallen. The number of fillings provided in 1996/97 and thus the care index, remain low, on average across the UK, only 48% of the dentinal caries experience identified by survey examinations of permanent teeth was seen as fillings (range in individual districts and boards: 27 to 76).
Conclusion: Taken together, these findings demonstrate the continuing need for more effective preventive strategies and treatment services for this important age group.