[Study on the longitudinal changes of the dental caries attack patterns of young child patients in pedodontic clinic, School of Dentistry, Ohu University].

The status of dental caries prevalence in the child patients, having visited the pedodontic clinic of Ohu University Dental Hospital, was surveyed longitudinally for 2 years (between 3 and 5 years of age) or 3 years (between 2 and 5 years). Also the dental caries attack patterns used at the dental health examination in infants aged 3 years, were investigated longitudinally. The surveyed child patients were 132 boys and 143 girls who had 20 deciduous teeth in their mouth through the surveyed period. The results were as follows: 1. The dental caries prevalence rate in the child patients was high at each age. 2. B and C caries attack patterns showing extensive caries increased remarkably at 3 or 4 years of age, and O patterns decreased with advanced age. 3. The child patients having no change in the caries attack patterns for 3 years decreased about 70%, and the severe type group transmitted to C caries attack patterns increased with advanced age. 4. Most of O caries attack patterns at 2 years of age changed to other patterns between 3 and 4 years of age, and they were few at 5 years.