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QuickStats: Percentage of Children Aged 2--4 Years Who Ever Had Caries in Primary Teeth,* by Race/Ethnicity^† and Sex --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2004

The proportion of young children who ever had dental caries in their primary teeth increased from 18% during 1988–1994 to 24% during 1999–2004, moving away from the Healthy People 2010 target of 11% (objective 21-1a). During 1999–2004, a higher percentage of Mexican-American children (35%) had dental caries than non-Hispanic black (26%) and non-Hispanic white (20%) children.

* Clinical diagnosis of dental caries or presence of fillings in at least one primary tooth based on a dental examination.

^† Respondents were asked to select only one race before 1999. For 1999 and later years, respondents were asked to select one or more races. For all years, the categories black and white include persons who reported only one racial group and exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity. Persons of Mexican-American ethnicity might be any race.

^§ 95% confidence interval.

The proportion of young children who ever had dental caries in their primary teeth increased from 18% during 1988--1994 to 24% during 1999--2004, moving away from the Healthy People 2010 target of 11% (objective 21-1a). During 1999--2004, a higher percentage of Mexican-American children (35%) had dental caries than non-Hispanic black (26%) and non-Hispanic white (20%) children.

SOURCES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988--2004 data files. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm.

Healthy People 2010 database. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov/data2010.

US Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy people 2010 (conference ed, in 2 vols). Washington, DC: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2000. Available at http://www.healthypeople.gov.

Dye BA, Tan S, Smith V, et al. Trends in oral health status: United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2004. Vital Health Stat 2007;11(248). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_11/sr11_248.pdf.

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Date last reviewed: 1/22/2009

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
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QuickStats: Percentage of Children Aged 2--4 Years Who Ever Had Caries in Primary Teeth,* by Race/Ethnicity† and Sex --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2004

QuickStats: Percentage of Children Aged 2--4 Years Who Ever Had Caries in Primary Teeth,* by Race/Ethnicity^† and Sex --- National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, United States, 1988--1994 and 1999--2004