Objective: To describe the oral health status and treatment need of 11-13-year-old children in urban Tibet and to determine if there was a difference in oral health status between the Tibetan and Han children. SURVEY DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: The two largest primary schools in Lhasa, Tibet, were selected and all children aged between 11 and 13 years were surveyed. Each child was interviewed and clinically examined in the schools, using portable equipment, by one of four calibrated examiners. The examination procedures and diagnostic criteria used followed those recommended by the World Health Organization.
Results: 347 children (207 Tibetans and 140 Han) were surveyed. Over 90% of the children claimed to brush their teeth at least once a day. Three-quarters had never visited a dentist. Caries prevalence was 44% in the Tibetans and 24% in the Han (P<0.001). The mean DMFT scores of the Tibetans and Han were 0.8 and 0.4 respectively (P<0.001). Only 1% of the children in both ethnic groups had healthy gums (highest CPI score = 0) and about two-thirds of them had calculus. One-third of the children were in need of treatment for dental caries and most of the required treatment items were one-surface fillings but 10% of the children needed extraction.
Conclusion: Dental caries and treatment need level of both Tibetan and Han children in Tibet was low but their periodontal health status was unsatisfactory.