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Sammanfattning

A review of the trend in caries prevalence and experience among Norwegian children and adolescents is presented in order to (i) assess possible reasons for the observed changes and (ii) attempt to predict the future dental status of adults based on the trends seen in recent years. According to available evidence, the proportion of caries-free 5-year-old children increased from 50 % in 1985 to nearly 70 % in 1997, then fell by 10 percentage points during the next four years, reaching 70 % again in 2005. Caries experience in the permanent dentition of Norwegian children was high as far back as 1897; it then fell during the Second World War, increased again until the mid-1960s and declined until the year 2000. Since 2000, the number of D3MFT among 12- and 18-year-olds has remained fairly stable. The observed fall in caries experience during the Second World War can be attributed mainly to a dramatic reduction in sugar consumption. The caries decline after 1965 is ascribable to several factors, e. g. children"s participation in supervised fluoride mouth rinsing or brushing programmes at school, use of fluoride-containing toothpaste (from 1971) and fluoride tablets, professional topical application of fluoride agents and after 1980, the change in the indications for restorative treatment. Prediction of the future dental status of adults based on recent developments indicates that in the coming 15 years, tooth loss and edentulousness will decrease rapidly and that in 2055 the number of D3MFT may fall to about 10 among 70-year-olds.

MeSH