Background: Lanyu Island has approximately 3000 inhabitants, mainly Yami aborigines. No survey of dental caries in schoolchildren has been done on this isolated island during the past decade. The purposes of this study were to investigate the prevalence of caries in schoolchildren on Lanyu and compare the results with the rest of Taiwan.
Methods: A total of 289 schoolchildren (152 boys and 137 girls) aged 4 to 12 on Lanyu Island, were selected for this study. The dental examinations were done by 2 senior pediatric dentists using flashlight, dental mirrors and explorers during 4 days of examination. The survey included caries prevalence rate, restorative index, and mean scores for deft, DMFT, defs, and DMFS. Mean scores for carious teeth by type of surface and sex differences for deft and DMFT were also checked.
Results: The results showed that Lanyu schoolchildren had a high caries prevalence rate (94.5%) and a low restorative index (5.75%). The mean scores of deft, DMFT, defs, and DMFS for all schoolchildren were 5.38 +/- 4.50, 1.67 +/- 2.22, 12.18 +/- 11.64, and 2.42 +/- 3.89, respectively. There were no significant sex differences in the overall mean scores of deft (p = 0.557) and DMFT (p = 0.151).
Conclusion: The data showed that the caries prevalence of Lanyu schoolchildren was as high as other Taiwanese schoolchildren. For the caries prevalence in deciduous teeth, the scores were even worse than the Taiwan average. This study will provide a baseline for future oral health policies on Lanyu Island.