Table 2.

Table of excluded studies

Title	Reason for exclusion
Caries and dental hygiene [50]	Review
Caries and micronutrient intake among urban South African children: a cohort study [51]	No dmft/prevalence stated
Dental caries at five and twelve years in a South African Indian community: a longitudinal study [52]	No dmft/prevalence stated
Dental caries in Black preschool children in Cape Town [53]	No sd for dmft and prevalence data was pooled for 4–7 year olds
Dietary intakes and caries experience in children in Limpopo Province, South Africa. [54]	Wrong population
Epidemiological profile of patients utilising public oral health services in Limpopo province, South Africa [55]	Data was pooled for age 6–10
Occlusal and oral health status of a group of 3–8-year-old South African black children. [56]	Combined data
Oral health status, knowledge, attitude and behaviour of Riverlea Primary School children [57]	No dmft data and prevalences were pooled
Oral health in South Africa [58]	Review
Patterns of breast and bottle feeding and their association with dental caries in 1- to 4-year-old South African children 2. A case control study of children with nursing caries [59]	Not primary data
Prevalence of dental caries in !Kung Bushmen of Bushmanland [60]	Pooled prevalence data
Prevalence of dental caries in preschool and primary school children in Mamre [61]	Wrong outcome
Priority health problems of children in an urban community [62]	No dental data
Socio-demographic correlates of early childhood caries prevalence and severity in a developing country—South Africa [63]	Not primary data
The impact or urbanisation on the health of black pre-school children in the Umtata district, Transkei, 1990 [64]	No dental data
The prevalence of oral pathoses in a private dental practice: a 30 month survey. (Bernitz et al. 1998) [65]	Wrong outcome
The relationship between the intake frequency and the total consumption of sucrose among four South African ethnic groups [66]	No dental data
Trends in dental caries prevalence, severity and unmet treatment need levels in South Africa between 1983 and 2002 [67]	Not a primary study
Trends in sugar intake: do these parallel changes in caries prevalence among S. African preschoolchildren? [68]	Review
Urbanisation and cariogenic food habits among 4–24-month-old black South African children in rural and urban areas [69]	No dental data
Dental caries in six, 12 and 15 year old Venda children in South Africa [70]	Wrong population
Dental status of rural school children in a sub-optimal fluoride area [71]	Wrong population
The burden of dental caries in the Western Cape and a recommended turn-around strategy [9]	Wrong population
The effect of socio-economic status on dental caries experience in 6, 12 and 15 year-old school children in Port Elizabeth and Despatch [72]	Wrong population