To assess the prevalence of dental caries in 7-9 years old school children in lucknow population using cast index

Introduction: Dental caries remains a serious problem in many populations worldwide, with a marked increase of the prevalence in several countries during the last decade.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of dental caries in 7-9 years old school children using Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST).
Study Designs: This cross-sectional study was carried out in school children using CAST Index in Lucknow population. The dental examination was performed and the teeth were evaluated according to the CAST recommendation. A structured and validated proforma was used to gather and record the data.
Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was carried out utilizing Chi-square test.
Results: A total of 1598 subjects, (77.8%) examined teeth were found to be sound, whereas, the rest 22.2% represented the previous, present and predicted stages of dental caries. The overall prevalence of dental caries was 12.8% in which the enamel and dentinal carious lesions were 4.2% and 8.6% respectively.
Conclusion: The CAST index is particularly useful for assessing stages of carious lesion progression and rendered care in an epidemiological setting. However, using the CAST index for assessing carious lesion progression as part of a clinical trial is not considered appropriate. The use of the CAST index should be field- tested and there is a need to validate the index and to determine its reliability in different countries and population groups.