Dental caries and oral hygiene patterns in Afrikaans- and English-speaking white high school pupils from upper and lower socio-economic areas of Johannesburg and environs.

An epidemiological survey of dental caries and oral hy­ giene o f Afrikaansand English-speaking pupils was undertaken in upper and lower socio-economic areas. Dental caries affected 99,7 per cent o f the pupils (mean age 16,3 years). In general Afrikaans-speaking pupils had significantly higher mean and median DMFTscores than English-speaking pupils, although this is not clini­ cally relevant. Individuals in the lower socio-economic areas had significantly higher DMFT values than those in upper socio-economic areas, which appear o f clinical rel­ evance. A modifying influence on DMFT o f self-per­ formed oral hygiene, determined by using OHI-D group­ ing, was evident but was less than had been expected and was in keeping with the report o f Bellini etal (1981). OPSOMMING