Among other findings in the report:

Tooth decay in permanent teeth of children ages 6 to 11 decreased from about 25 percent to 21 percent, and among teens it decreased from 68 percent to 59 percent.The use of dental sealants increased from 22 percent to 30 percent among children and from 18 percent to 38 percent among teens.Moderate and severe gum disease declined from 10 percent to 5 percent among adults 20 to 64 years old, and from 27 percent to 17 percent among seniors. For seniors, complete tooth loss decreased from 34 percent to 27 percent. Sixty percent of adults reported seeing a dentist in the past year (1999-2004), compared with 66 percent during the previous survey (1988-94). (来源：英语学习门户网站EnglishCN.com)

More information

To learn more about children's dental health, visit the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

SOURCES: April 30, 2007, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report,Trends in Oral Health Status -- United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004; Mary Hayes, DDS, pediatric dentistry, and spokeswoman for the American Dental Association, Chicago