Complaints of enamel defects in American Indian children residing on the St. 
Regis reservation in New York State prompted an epidemiological study. The 
results of that study, reported earlier (Rebich et al., 1983), indicated that 
over one-fifth of the American Indian children had discoloration of the 
dentition due to ingestion of tetracycline during the years of tooth formation. 
These data also provided an ideal opportunity to examine the link between 
tetracycline staining and caries which has been postulated by previous authors. 
American Indian children, ages 7-18, were found to have a higher caries 
experience than other children and a lower rate of dental service utilization, 
as evidenced by the filled component of the DMFS index (FS/DMFS). Within the 
American Indian population, however, no indication was found of any association 
between tetracycline staining and dental caries.