CHANGES IN COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL-CARE OF THE PRIMARY DENTITION FROM 1979 TO 1989 .2. RESTORATIVE TREATMENT OF PRIMARY MOLARS IN A POPULATION TREATED AT A UNIVERSITY DENTAL CLINIC

The aim of this study was to compare the success of operative caries therapy of primary molars in two cohorts, one of children born in 1971, Cohort '71, and the other of children born in 1981, Cohort '81, followed up from the age of 3 to 8 years. There were significantly fewer caries lesions to treat in Cohort '81 than in Cohort '71. In Cohort '71, silver amalgam was used while in Cohort '81 silver amalgam was inserted in 65% and glass polyalkeonate cement (GPA) in 35%. Significantly fewer restorations were replaced in Cohort '81 than in Cohort 71, 49 v. 106. When the proportion of replacements was studied in relation to the number of proximal caries lesions, the percentage of replacements in Cohort '71 was 17% and in Cohort '81 14%, the distal surface of the lower first molar showing the same proportion in both cohorts, 21%. Of all replacements in Cohort '81, 41% were performed in the high caries prevalence group. In Cohort '81, 22% of all silver amalgam and 6% of all GPA fillings were replaced. The number of extracted primary molars decreased significantly, from 4% in Cohort '71 to 2% in Cohort '81. The success rate of the operative caries therapy did not increase much. Instead, cost benefits were found in decreasing caries prevalence and later onset of manifest caries.