A longitudinal study of caries experience and extraction of permanent first molars in English children

One hundred and twenty eight children in Leeds, England, initially aged 11 years, were examined annually for 6 years. The site of dental caries on 441 permanent first molars was recorded at the first examination. Twelve per cent of the teeth were caries free, 83 % had between one and three DF sites each, and 6 % had four or more DF sites. After 6 years 8 % of the originally caries free teeth had been extracted, compared with 19 % of those that initially had had up to three DF sites and 58 % of those with four or more DF sites at the first examination. With the exception of the distal surface site a consistent pattern of the prevalence of caries was seen in each of the sites in the permanent first molar teeth that were not extracted during the study. In the distal site dental caries became relatively more prevalent as the children grew older. The accumulation of similar information from other populations should provide a useful guide for the prognosis of dental caries in the permanent first molar teeth.