Search

OBJETIVO: Determinar a relação entre o nível socioeconômico e a prevalência de cárie dentária, gengivite e fluorose em escolares brasileiros. MÉTODOS: Foram examinados mil escolares de 12 anos de idade provenientes das redes particular e pública de ensino. Os índices utilizados foram: Índice de Dentes ou Superfícies Cariadas, Perdidas e Obturadas (CPOD ou CPOS), Índice de Sangramento Gengival (ISG) e Índice de Thylstrup e Feyerskov (ITF). O nível socioeconômico foi determinado pela renda per capita e pelo nível educacional dos pais. RESULTADOS: O nível educacional dos pais apresentou forte correlação de Pearson com a renda per capita. Correlações extremamente fracas, quase nulas, foram observadas entre o nível educacional dos pais e os eventos examinados. Foram observadas diferenças nos eventos examinados (p

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries, gingival bleeding and fluorosis in twelve-year-old schoolchildren from Porto Alegre, Brazil. One thousand students from private and public schools were examined. The indexes used were BI, DMF and TFI. The data pertaining to BI were the first to be collected. After that, the children were submitted to plaque removal and their teeth were dried prior to the examination for caries and fluorosis. The average value for DMFT, including cavitated and non-cavitated lesions, was 2.22 +/- 0.08 (standard error). The average value for BI was 19.76% +/- 0.54% (standard error) and the prevalence of students with fluorosis was 52.9%. Regarding the severity of fluorosis, 45.9% of the children had TFI 1, 6.1% TFI 2 and 0.9% TFI 3. A polarization of the experience of caries and gingivitis was observed in the studied population. Only 14.4% of the students had DMFS higher than 7. A small percentage of children (12%) presented with BI > or = 40%. The experience of caries and gingivitis of 12-year-old schoolchildren in Porto Alegre is comparable to that of children from developed countries. That probably results from the intense utilization of fluoride, which is also causing an increased prevalence of fluorosis. The severity of fluorosis does not justify any public health measure. The results show that the employed public health measures are effective, although part of the population still needs additional care.

Objective: To determine the relationship between the socioeconomic status and dental caries, gingivitis and fluorosis among Brazilian school children., Methods: One thousand students aged 12 from private and public schools were examined. The indexes used were DMFT or S (Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth or Surfaces Index), BI (Bleeding Index), and TFI (Thylstrup and Feyerskov Index). The socioeconomic level was determined according family income and parents' educational level., Results: Parents' educational level data revealed a strong Pearson's correlation with income. No correlation was observed between dental caries prevalence, gingivitis and fluorosis and the studied social economic variables. The DMFT in private schools was 1.54+/-2.02, and in public schools was 2.48+/-2.51. BI was 14.7%+/-12.7% in private schools and 21.7%+/- 17.9% in public ones. The prevalence of fluorosis was 60.8% and 49.9%, respectively). These differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). Individuals with a larger number of decayed surfaces and the ones with a larger percent of bleeding surfaces were seen in public schools., Conclusions: The socioeconomic level variables, income and parents' educational level, did not correlate with the events analyzed in the study. Other socioeconomic variables probably contributed to the observed differences between students from private and public schools.