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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Analysis of Variance, Belgium, Child, Cohort Studies, DMF Index, Dental Caries, Educational Status, Ethnic Groups, Female, Humans, Male, Occupations, Parents, Prevalence, Reproducibility of Results, Social Class, Socioeconomic Factors, Tooth, Deciduous.
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Do caries decline in the primary dentition of Belgian children over 15 years? Context: (1) To investigate changes in caries prevalence in the primary dentition of children resident in Brussels, Belgium between 1983 and 1998, (2) to analyse associations between changes in caries and children's socioeconomic and ethnic aspects. In the Brussels region, children in the first grade at the same schools were sampled in cohort 1983 (n = 396) and cohort 1998 (n = 473). Caries experience of Belgian and non-Belgian nationals was summarized in dmf scores. The socioeconomic status of the children was established based on their parents' education and profession. The children were categorized in eight subgroups in relation to their socioeconomic status, ethnic origin and cohort (SESEC subgroups). The percentage of caries-free children increased significantly from 31.5% to 47.5%. A reduction was observed in the dmft scores from 3.9 to 2.3 (P < 0.001) and in the dmfs scores from 6.9 to 5.0 (P < 0.001). The odds ratio of being caries-free was 2.5 times higher for privileged children and 2.3 times higher for children belonging to cohort 1998. The ANCOVA analyses revealed that most of the SESEC subgroups showed significant reduction in dmft scores from 1983 to 1998 (P < 0.003).
assistant
Children resident in Brussels showed caries decline in their primary dentition over 15 years. Diversity in caries decline was associated with children's socioeconomic status and ethnic origin. Final Decision: yes