Dental caries rates in South Africa: implications for oral health planning

Abstract

Despite the availability of epidemiological data on caries prevalence rates in children, there is little evidence that the issue of childhood caries is adequately addressed through policy and service provision efforts in South Africa. Given the underlying multifactorial determinants of dental caries, namely access to and availability and utilisation of oral health services, socioeconomic status and dietary intake, oral health planning efforts need to address issues of policy and programmatic integration, additional fluoride uptake and the availability of primary preventive programmes.