Dental caries activity in adolescents of city with very low dental caries prevalence: Paulínia, São Paulo, 2004

Abstract

The objectives of this work were to verify the caries activity and to know the caries and fluorosis prevalence among 12-year-old schoolboys and girls in the municipality of Paulinia. Four hundred and thirteen children from public and private schools selected by means of systematic random sampling process were investigated. In order to assess the caries experience, treatment necessities and dental flourosis, the WHO criteria were adopted (1997). For caries activity, the Nyvad et al. (1999) simplified diagnosis criteria were adopted. The indexes used for dental caries were: CPOD and Significant caries Index (SiC). Those free from caries represented 60.8% of students. The CPOD index was of 0.9 (IC95% = 0.8-1.1). The obturated component (52.3%) was the first for CPOD, followed by the decayed component (47.2%). In children presenting caries activity, the COPD was of 1.37 (IC95%=1.1-1.7) and in those without caries activity, the COPD was of 0.57 (IC95%=0.4-0.7) (p<0.01). 38.7% of the treatment necessities referred to the application of fissure sealants and 35.1% to the restoration of 1 surface. Among children who presented fluorosis, 36.6% (n=151) were of very low intensity. The SiC index value was of 2.5. The municipality of Paulinia has already achieved the WHO goals for 2010 for 12-year-old children; therefore, it is recommended that differentiated cares should be intensified among students who compose the SiC with the objective of controlling the incidence of dental caries also within this group. Further studies should be conducted and aimed at caries activity with the objective of interfering in incipient caries lesions using non-invasive procedures.