Abstract

FRAZAO, Paulo et al. Dental caries in 12-year-old schoolchildren from a non-fluoridated municipality in the Western Brazilian Amazon, Brazil, 2010. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2016, vol.25, n.1, pp.149-158. ISSN 1679-4974.

OBJECTIVE: to describe dental caries occurrence and dental care received among 12-year-old schoolchildren in a small town in the Amazon region according to sex and area of residence. METHODS: this was a descriptive study conducted in Acrelandia-AC, Brazil, in 2010; DMFT and dental care indexes were estimated in accordance with World Health Organization recommendations. RESULTS: 186 schoolchildren participated, 47.8% were girls and 41.4% lived in the rural area; DMFT was 2.15 (1.77;2.52) without differences between the categories; the care index was 32.8%, with higher rates for the rural area (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: although they lived in a non-fluoridated area, the schoolchildren had a caries experience and dental care pattern closer to that of Brazil as a whole rather than that of the Northern region; the hypothesis of association with the level of human development and the performance of Family Health Strategy Oral Health teams is discussed.

Keywords : Dental Caries; Epidemiology, Descriptive; Rural Areas; Dental Care.

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