Objective: To assess the changes in levels of sugar consumption and concommitant dental caries experience in Iraqi children in relation to United Nations Sanctions (UNS) on Iraq.
Methods: Before and after UNS a selection of a random sample of school children aged 6-7, 11-12 and 14-15 years of two urban socio-economic groups (Urban 1 and Urban 2) and seven rural communities was done. A total sample of 3,015 and 2,977 individuals were dentally examined before and after UNS, using the WHO dmft/DMFT indices.
Results: Sugar consumption dropped from 50 kg/person/year before UNS to 12 kg/person/year after UNS. The dmft for 6-7 year old Urban 1 and Urban 2 children was respectively 6.5 and 8.8 before and 3.3 and 4.6 after UNS. For 6-7-year-old rural children the dmft was 1.9 before and 0.7 after UNS. For 11-12-year-old Urban 1 and Urban 2 children the respective DMFT was 5.4 and 8.7 before and 2.5 and 2.9 after UNS. The DMFT levels for 11-12-year-old rural children were 1.3 before and 0.5 after UNS. For 14-15-year-old children the DMFT for Urban 1 and Urban 2 children was 5.9 and 10.7 before and 2.7 and 2.9 after UNS, whereas in 14-15-year-old rural children it was 1.8 before and 0.9 after UNS.
Conclusions: Reductions in sugar availability due to sanctions was related to marked caries reductions in Iraqi children over a 5 year period.