Prevalence and factors associates with the dental caries and high attack of caries in adolescents of the Northeast Region of Brazil

INTRODUCTION:  The decay is still a public health problem, identified as the main cause of tooth loss. In spite of noticing the reduction of the prevalence of dental caries in the world, the matter is still considered a problem of public health.  The purpose was to analysis the prevalence of caries in adolescents (15-19 years) from the Northeast region of Brazil and to verify its associated factors.

METHODS:  The data of the National Research of Oral Health – SB Brazil 2010 had been used. Two dependent variables had been used: prevalence of caries (DMF-T>=1) and high attack of caries (DMF-T>=4). The independents variables had been distributed according to social demographic aspects, clinical dimension and access conditions. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the Odds Ratio as a measure of effect, according to a hierarchical model.

RESULTS:  In the simple analysis only the number of belongings had significant statistics, in the both situation. The age of the survey participants has significance only in the high attack of caries and the income in the prevalence of caries (p<0.05).  The clinical variables all of them had significance statistics in both cases (p<0.05). The access variables they were all relevant in the two cases. In the multiple analysis the income became significant in the both cases, remaining the same results for the other variables (p<0.05). To the clinical variables, pain and OIDP were statistically significant (p<0.05). The access variables all of them had statistical significance in the both situation (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS:  Therefore, caries continues as a oral problem strongly associated with access issues and oral services that cause impacts to life’s quality. The Brazilian Northeast is historically holder of the worst living conditions and health, and lacking an answer to their great social vulnerabilities.