Eruption Status and Caries Condition of the First Permanent Molars in Chinese Children

Objective: To determine whether the targeting age should be adjusted for the National Children’s Pit and Fissure Sealant (PFS) Programme.
Methods: Statistical analysis was conducted on the results of oral health examination results of school-aged children in regions covered by the National Children’s Oral Disease Comprehensive Intervention Programme (NCODCIP) in 2018. We analysed the eruption status and dental caries condition of the children’s four first permanent molars (FPMs) and performed statistical tests for the data.
Results: Data analysis from 811,855 children aged 6 to 9 years showed that the complete eruption rate (CER) of the FPMs in Chinese children aged 6 years was 67.2%, and reached 94.1% by age 9. Before the implementation of the PFS Programme, the prevalence of dental caries in 6-year-olds was 11.0%, and 23.2% by age 9. Caries prevalence was higher in girls than boys. The growth rate of caries prevalence slowed with age.
Conclusion: Our study indicated that the eruption time of FPMs in Chinese children has been earlier than predicted, and the caries prevalence was more severe than expected. Therefore, it is recommended that the targeting age for the National PFS Programme be lowered from 7 years old to 6 years old.