What percentage of 5-9 year old children have at least one carious lesion or restoration?

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 75%
• D. 90%

Answer: (B)

Caries experience prevalence is being tested here. This is the proportion of children who have had caries in their teeth at some point or who already have a restoration due to past decay. In the 5–9 year age group, surveys often find that about half of children fall into this category, meaning they have at least one carious lesion or a restoration. That’s why fifty percent is the best answer—it reflects a substantial but not universal burden of disease and treatment in this age range.

The other options would imply a much lower or much higher burden than is typically observed in many populations. This measure is useful for understanding how widespread caries experience is and for planning prevention and treatment needs for that age group.