The carious status of the first permanent molar (FPM) was studied in 432 school children (aged 9–12 years) from a randomly selected primary schools from Sharfia area of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The sample consisted of 108 children from each age group of 9, 10, 11, and 12 years old. In total, 24.5% had all of their FPMs sound and 6% had all FPMs carious. The prevalence of four sound FPMs varied according to age with the highest (33%) amongst the nine-year olds and the lowest (16.5%) in the oldest children (12 years). Almost one-third (32.5%) of the children, who knew the age of eruption of the FPMs, had all of their molars sound. The children who had received advice regarding oral hygiene from a dentist or parent had more sound FPMs compared to the children who did not receive any advice. The number of carious FPMs increased with age. The prevalence of caries of the FPM was high and increased with increasing age. The level of knowledge had a positive correlation with the caries levels amongst this cohort of scholars. 1. Introduction Jeddah is a commercial city situated at the western coast of Saudi Arabia. In the Sharfia district of Jeddah, majority of people are from India, Pakistan, and other Asian countries. In this region, there have been no studies undertaken to determine the prevalence of dental caries in first permanent molars (FPMs). In recent years, the global distribution of dental caries presents a varied picture; most of the countries with low caries prevalence are experiencing an unprecedented increase in caries prevalence and severity of dental caries including Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, in several industrialized countries, a reduction of dental caries incidence and improvement of gingival health care are evident [1, 2]. This decline in dental caries is mainly due to appropriate use of fluorides and preventive oral health measures [3, 4]. Dental caries is one of the most highly prevalent diseases in children, and the FPMs are important as they are very prone to caries because of their anatomical structure and early eruption in the mouth. As a result, many children have to visit the dental professional requiring restorations or extractions of these molars. This is expensive, time consuming, and often traumatic for the young child. Hence the prevention of dental caries remains an important responsibility of the dental profession. Many studies [3, 4] have stressed the importance of oral hygiene instruction, the regular use of topical and systemic fluoride, and the application of fissure sealants in the prevention of dental caries
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