Caries experience of Native children of British Columbia, Canada, 1980-1988

– Surveys of the dental health of Native children in British Columbia, Canada, were conducted in 1980, 1984 and 1988 by Medical Services Branch, Health and Welfare Canada. Data were gathered on children turning 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 yr of age in each survey year. This paper analyzes the findings related to dental caries and the treatment of caries. Comparisons were made between the 1980 and 1988 surveys using Student's t‐tests; data from the 1984 survey were included for comparison. Results of these surveys demonstrate a continuous improvement in the dental health of Native children between the years 1980 and 1988, but the improvement was limited to the permanent dentition. The deft for 5‐yr‐olds remained constant over the time interval. In contrast, the DMFT for each group significantly decreased from 1980 to 1988 (P