Lívia Litsue Gushi

Cárie dentária em adolescentes de 15 a 19 anos de idade no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, 2002

Dental caries was evaluated by surveying 15-to-19-year-olds in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2002, concerning disease prevalence and severity according to age, gender, ethnicity, and public water supply fluoridation. This cross-sectional study was based on data collected through an oral dental health epidemiological survey. Adolescents (n = 1,825) were examined at their homes by 132 dentists from 35 cities in the State of Sao Paulo. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests were used (a = 5%). The SiC Index was used to determine the groups having higher caries experience. DMF-T was 6.44 (sd = 4.60) and SiC Index was 11.68. Caries-free frequency was 9.6%. No statistically significant difference was observed for DMF-T in relation to public water supply fluoridation; however, there was a high percentage of caries-free individuals in cities with fluoridation. Caries conditions were worse in males. A higher prevalence of decayed and missing teeth was observed in the non-white groups. Therefore, emphasis is recommended on strategies to mitigate harm by caries progression, especially in higher-risk groups.

Cárie dentária e necessidades de tratamento em adolescentes do estado de São Paulo, 1998 e 2002

OBJETIVO: Avaliar indicadores de prevalencia e severidade de carie em adolescentes e as necessidades de tratamento. METODOS: Os dados foram obtidos a partir de levantamentos epidemiologicos em saude bucal realizados no Estado de Sao Paulo em 1998 e 2002, com adolescentes de 12 e 18 anos de idade. A experiencia de carie foi medida pelo indice de dentes permanentes cariados, perdidos e restaurados (CPOD) e a necessidade de tratamento foi avaliada segundo criterios da Organizacao Mundial de Saude. O significant caries index foi empregado para definir a experiencia de carie de um terco do grupo que apresentou maior experiencia da doenca. Para a idade de 12 anos, os exames ocorreram em escolas publicas e privadas, em 1998 (N=9.327) e 2002 (N=5.782), enquanto que os adolescentes de 18 anos, em 2002, foram examinados em seus domicilios (N=5195, em 1998 e N=257 em 2002). RESULTADOS: Aos 12 anos de idade, o indice CPOD foi de 3,72 em 1998 e de 2,52 em 2002, enquanto que aos 18 anos foi de 8,64 e 7,13, respectivamente. O significant caries index aos 12 anos foi de 7,40 (1998) e 5,62 (2002), aos 18 anos foi de 15,05 e 12,19, respectivamente. Aos 12 anos observou-se aumento de necessidades de restauracoes de uma superficie (p<0,0001) e de selantes aos 18 anos (p<0,0001). CONCLUSOES: Verificou-se que houve declinio da carie entre os adolescentes e a maioria das necessidades de tratamento odontologicas foram de baixa complexidade.

Relationship between dental caries and socio-economic factors in adolescents

Dental caries has a multifactorial etiology, including socio-economic variables and access to dental care, which were discussed in the national survey conducted in 2002. The aim of this study was to investigate the socio-economic aspects and access to dental care, associated with caries prevalence and severity in adolescents from the State of São Paulo. The study design was cross-sectional, on which data on 1,825 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years achieved from the data of an epidemiological survey conducted in the State of São Paulo in 2002 were analyzed. Epidemiological exams and interviews with previously formulated questions were used in the survey. The Significant Caries Index (SiC Index) was utilized to determine the group with higher caries experience. Frequency distribution and chi-square association tests were carried out in order to evaluate the relationship between independent variables and the dependent variable (DMFT). Confidence intervals and odds ratio (OR) were estimated. The risk factors pointed as indicators of presence of dental caries were as follows: not being a student, studying at public schools, family income lower than 5 Brazilian minimum wages. Moreover, not having an own house or a car seemed to contribute to caries experience. With regard to the access to public dental care, the adolescents assisted at public centers and looking for emergency dental care had the higher caries experience. Thus, the results showed that social deprivation is associated with caries experience in adolescents from the State of São Paulo.

Cárie dentária segundo o nível socioeconômico em Itapetininga/SP/Brasil

The influence of socioeconomic status factors has been demons- trated at dental caries determina- tion, as in its prevalence as in its severity. Thus, this study aimed at determining the relationship between socioeconomic level and dental caries through its preva- lence and severity, besides treat- ment needs in children aging 7 to 12 years old. 546 children, from public and private schools, were examined in the city of Itapetinin- ga, SP, in 1998, selected according to systematic random sampling process. The clinical exams follo- wed World Health Organization (WHO) (1997). DMFT, dmft, Care Index and Index of Dental Health (IDH) were used. Socioeconomic level was determined according to the attended type of school. Mann-Whitney and chi-square tests were used with significance level of 5%. Among schoolchildren, there was a bigger caries free per- centage in private (49.7%) than in public school (29.5%) (p<0.05). DMFT and dmft in public school were 1.27 and 1.78 and in private school, they were 0.72 and 1,17, respectively, both greater in pu- blic school (p<0,05). A higher per- centage of missed teeth was found in public than in private school (p<0,05). The Care Index was hi- gher among schoolchildren in pri- vate school (91.8%) being 53,4% in public one (p<0.05). The IDH index was 0.7 and 0.8 for public and private schools, respectively. Schoolchildren with higher socio- economic level showed better oral health conditions in the city of Ita- petininga. Key words: oral health, dental ca- ries, schoolchildren, socioeconomic level.