| Sumario: | The 1999 National Oral Health Survey of Vietnam, a population-based survey from a developing country, provides a contrast to the findings of recent surveys in Australia and New Zealand. OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to describe oral health status and its socio-economic distribution and to evaluate change over time in the oral health of the population of Vietnam. METHODS: A multi-staged stratified sampling process was employed. Data on children aged 6 to 17 years were collected by an oral examination and a parental questionnaire. Adults aged 18+ years completed a questionnaire and were examined by trained and calibrated dentists. RESULTS: Oral hygiene status of the child and adult population was poor. Caries experience was high in children but moderate in adults. Caries experience was present mostly as untreated decay. Factors related to caries were sex, hygiene practices, socio-economic status, location and dental visiting. CONCLUSIONS: The oral health status of the younger Vietnamese generations was compromised by various factors and there are worrying trends, indicating deteriorating oral health in this population.
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