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Five hundred and twelve students of the Royal Dental College in Copenhagen were given a questionnaire designed to elicit information on the prevalence, debut, frequency of recurrences, and prevalence of patients treated for recurrent aphthous ulcerations. The prevalence of aphthae was 56 % (289/512). In 45 % (131/289) the disease was manifest before the age of sixteen. Fifty per cent (143/289) experienced yearly outbreak, 28 % (81/289) monthly and 3 % (9/289) weekly. The prevalence of treatment was 35 % (101/289); 18 % (51/289) received medical advice. In the present population the prevalence of recurrent aphthous ulcerations was significantly higher in females than in males. The debut, frequency of recurrences and prevalence of patients treated showed no significant differences with regard to sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to evaluate the benefit left from free dental care at public school after an average time interval of 7 years (mean: 7.03 years). The school dental service given to 66 Army recruits was extracted from their respective school dental care records, arid then compared with the caries situation at the time of their military service. The results showed that the average number of 10.42 filled and extracted tooth surfaces at the end of school dental care had increased to a score of 36.72 DMFS 7 years later. The increase was significantly higher than expected on the basis of the average caries development between ages 7 and 15 years. Of the teeth filled during school dental care, only 26% were in no need of additional treatment, 15 % had been properly retreated afterwards and the rest were either decayed (35 %), retreated and redecayed (13 %) or extracted (11 %). Of the teeth that had been given root canal treatment at school, 27 % had been extracted within the following 7 years. The caries situation was worst in the group of recruits who had had free dental care for the longest period of time. It was concluded that constant free repair of the teeth does not seem to give long term relief from the caries problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]