Caries in Children and Adolescents in the United States

Prevalence and Severity of Tooth Decay in Primary Teeth in the United States¹⁴

About 11% of children aged 2-5 years had one or more primary teeth with untreated decay. Mexican American children had a higher prevalence of untreated tooth decay (18.5%) compared to non-Hispanic White children (8.1%). Also of note was the link between children’s df scores and poverty. The highest d and f scores were in children living under the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). Children in high poverty groups (18.0%) also had a higher prevalence than those in low poverty groups (6.6%). Children aged 2-5 years with one or more decayed or filled primary teeth had, on average, 1.8 decayed teeth and 2.6 filled teeth. Nearly 18% of children aged 6-8 years had untreated decay in primary teeth, with higher prevalence in high and middle poverty groups (24.6% and 24.8%, respectively) compared to low poverty groups (11.6%). Mexican American children in this age group had the highest mean number of filled teeth (4.2).

Prevalence of Tooth Decay in Primary and Permanent Teeth in the United States¹⁴

Nearly 17% of children aged 6-9 years had untreated decay in primary or permanent teeth. Children in high (26.3%) and middle (23.4%) poverty groups were more than twice as likely to have untreated decay compared to those in low poverty groups (10%). About 50% of children aged 6-9 had one or more decayed, filled, or missing primary or permanent teeth. Mexican American children (70.3%) and those in high (59.9%) and middle (61.4%) poverty groups had higher prevalence compared to non-Hispanic White children (43.4%) and those in low poverty groups (40.5%).

Prevalence and Severity of Tooth Decay in Permanent Teeth¹⁴

Nearly 3% of children aged 6-11 years had untreated decay in permanent teeth. Those with one or more decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth had, on average, 0.3 decayed teeth and 1.6 filled teeth. About 10% of adolescents aged 12-19 years had untreated decay in permanent teeth, with higher prevalence among older adolescents (16-19 years, 12.1%) compared to younger adolescents (12-15 years, 8.6%). Adolescents with one or more decayed, missing, or filled permanent teeth had, on average, 0.4 decayed teeth and 3.7 filled teeth. The mean number of filled teeth was higher among older adolescents (4.4) and Mexican American adolescents (4.3).

The report provides evidence of a link between children's decayed and filled (dft) scores and poverty. It shows that children living under the Federal Poverty Line (FPL) have the highest dft scores. Specifically, children aged 2-5 years in the high poverty group had a mean number of 2.2 decayed teeth and 2.6 filled teeth, while those in the low poverty group had a mean number of 1.6 decayed teeth and 2.1 filled teeth. Similarly, children aged 6-8 years in the high poverty group had a higher prevalence of untreated decay (24.6%) compared to those in the low poverty group (11.6%). These findings indicate a significant association between poverty and higher dft scores in children.