Prevalence and severity of dental caries in schoolchildren of Porto, Portugal Tatiana Ribeiro de Campos Mello, José Leopoldo Ferreira Antunes, Eliseu Alves Waldman, Elisabete Ramos, Marta Relvas, et al. Community Dental Health, 2008 OBJECTIVES: To measure the prevalence and severity of dental caries in adolescents of the city of Porto, Portugal, and to assess socioeconomic and behavioural covariates of dental caries experience. METHODS: A sample of 700 thirteen-year-old schoolchildren was examined. Results from the dental examination were linked to anthropometric information and to data supplied by two structured questionnaires assessing nutritional factors, socio-demographic characteristics and behaviour related to health promotion. Dental caries was measured using the DMFT index, and two dichotomous outcomes, one assessing the prevalence of dental caries (DMFT > 0); the other assessing the prevalence of a high level of dental caries (DMFT > or = 4). RESULTS: Consuming soft drinks derived from cola (irrespective of sugared or diet) two or more times per week, attending a public school, being female and having parents with low educational attainment were identified as risk factors both for having dental caries and for having a high level of dental caries. CONCLUSION: Caries levels were positively associated with frequency of intake of sweetened foods and drinks.
Prevalence of untreated caries in deciduous teeth in urban and rural areas in the state of São Paulo, Brazil Tatiana Ribeiro de Campos Mello, Jose Leopoldo Ferreira Antunes, Eliseu Alves Waldman Revista Panamericana De Salud Publica Pan American Journal of Public Health, 2008 OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of dental caries in children with deciduous teeth in urban and rural areas in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, and to identify associated factors. METHODS: The study included 24 744 children (5-7 years of age) examined as part of an epidemiological survey on oral health carried out in the state of São Paulo (Levantamento Epidemiológico de Saúde Bucal do Estado de São Paulo). Multilevel analysis was used to investigate whether the prevalence of untreated caries was associated with the sociodemographic characteristics of the children examined or with the socioeconomic aspects of the participating cities. RESULTS: Being black or brown (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.27), attending school in rural areas (adjusted OR=1.88), and attending public school (adjusted OR=3.41) were identified as determinants for an increased probability of presenting deciduous teeth with untreated caries. Being a female (adjusted OR=0.83) was identified as a protective factor. The negative coefficients obtained for second-level independent variables indicate that the oral health profile of the cities included in the study were positively impacted by a higher municipal human development index (beta=-0.47) and fluoridated drinking water (beta=-0.32). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of untreated caries is influenced by individual and sociodemographic factors. The present study provides epidemiological information concerning the rural areas in the state of São Paulo. This information is useful for strategic planning and for establishing guidelines for oral health actions in local health systems, thereby contributing to oral health equity.
Multilevel assessment of determinants of dental caries experience in Brazil José Leopoldo Ferreira Antunes, Marco Aurélio Peres, Tatiana Ribeiro de Campos Mello, Eliseu Alves Waldman Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2006 – Objective: To examine contextual and individual determinants of dental caries experience, documenting levels of the disease in Brazil. Methods: The dental status of 34 550 12‐year‐old schoolchildren was informed by a country‐wide survey of oral health comprising 250 towns and performed in 2002–2003. Indices assessing dental caries experience were compared by sociodemographic characteristics of examined children (gender, ethnic group, localization and type of school), and geographic characteristics of participating towns [the human development index (HDI), and access to fluoridated tap water]. A multilevel model fitted the adjustment of untreated caries to individual and contextual covariates.Results: Better‐off Brazilian regions presented an improved profile of dental health, besides having a less unequal distribution of restorative dental treatments between blacks and whites, rural and urban areas, and public and private schools. Girls [odds ratio (OR) = 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0–1.1], blacks (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.5–1.7), and children studying in rural areas (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.7–2.0) and public schools (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.6–1.9) presented higher odds of having untreated decayed teeth. The multilevel model identified the fluoride status of tap water (β = −0.3), the proportion of households linked to the water network (β = −0.3), and the HDI (β = −0.2), as town‐level variables associated with caries levels.Conclusion: Dental caries experience is prone to sociodemographic and geographic inequalities. The monitoring of contrasts in dental health outcomes is relevant for programming socially appropriate interventions aimed both at overall improvements and at the targeting of resources for groups of population presenting higher levels of needs.
Individual and contextual determinants of dental treatment needs of children with primary dentition in Brazil José Leopoldo Ferreira Antunes, Marco Aurélio Peres, Tatiana Ribeiro de Campos Mello Ciencia E Saude Coletiva, 2006 Para documentar níveis de doença bucal no Brasil, e avaliar determinantes da experiência de cárie, estudou-se a condição dentária de 26.641 crianças de cinco anos de idade, conforme dados fornecidos por um levantamento nacional de saúde bucal realizado em 2002-3, compreendendo 250 cidades. A prevalência de cárie não tratada foi associada a características sociodemográficas das crianças examinadas e condições geográficas das cidades participantes, através de análise multinível. As regiões brasileiras com melhores indicadores sociais apresentaram perfil mais favorável de saúde bucal. Crianças negras e pardas, e aquelas estudando em áreas rurais e em pré-escolas públicas, apresentaram chance significantemente mais elevada de terem dentes decíduos cariados não tratados. O perfil de saúde bucal das cidades foi associado com a adição de flúor à água de abastecimento público, a proporção de domicílios ligados à rede de águas e o Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano. A experiência de cárie dentária é suscetível a desigualdades sociodemográficas e geográficas; o monitoramento dos contrastes em saúde bucal é relevante para a programação de intervenções socialmente apropriadas, dirigidas a melhorias globais e ao direcionamento de recursos para grupos de população com níveis mais elevados de necessidades.
Rural áreas: Do they present higher levels of dental disorders? Arquivos De Medicina, 2005
Prevalence of dental caries in schoolchildren in the rural area of Itapetininga, São Paulo State, Brazil Tatiana Ribeiro de Campos Mello, José Leopoldo Ferreira Antunes Cadernos De Saude Publica Ministerio Da Saude Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz Escola Nacional De Saude Publica, 2004 O presente estudo visa mensurar a prevalência de cárie dentária em escolares residentes na área rural de Itapetininga, São Paulo, Brasil. Uma única dentista efetuou o exame bucal de 291 crianças de 5 e 12 anos em escolas rurais, seguindo os critérios da Organização Mundial da Saúde. Características sócio-econômicas e hábitos das crianças foram informados pelos pais ou responsáveis. Dados secundários relativos aos escolares da área urbana foram utilizados para análise comparativa. Os índices de cárie observados foram: ceo-d (5 anos) de 2,63 e CPO-D (12 anos) de 2,45. O componente cariado correspondeu a 85,6% do ceo-d e 34,2% do CPO-D, indicando a menor utilização de serviços odontológicos pelas crianças com cáries na dentição decídua. A prevalência de cárie foi mais elevada na área rural do que na área urbana de Itapetininga. O presente estudo apresenta informações epidemiológicas inéditas para o município, oferecendo subsídios para o planejamento estratégico e normativo das ações de saúde bucal no sistema local de saúde.
