Dental caries, eating habits and oral hygiene in schoolchildren from a city in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul: epidemiological survey

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Dental caries is one of the oldest oral pathologies and is still a highly prevalent disease, considered a public health problem. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental caries in schoolchildren in a city and to compare the average caries rate among adolescents in private and state schools. METHODS: The study was conducted using a quantitative descriptive and prevalence approach, and the sample consisted of all schoolchildren aged 11 to 13 in the city, totaling 105 students. Data collection was performed using a questionnaire and clinical examinations were performed using the DMFT index to assess the presence, average dental caries and presence of dental biofilm. RESULTS: There was a prevalence of untreated dental caries in 44.7% of the schoolchildren and a DMFT index of 1.22, with no difference between the schools investigated. The majority (86.7%) of the schoolchildren presented biofilm on their teeth. The amount of soft drinks consumed daily by the students was 62.8%, 98.1% ate cookies 1 to 2 times a day and of these, 69.5% were filled. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of dental caries is high in students from both schools, however, the average DMFT index is low, according to parameters of the World Health Organization. There is a high daily consumption of sugary foods and drinks and the oral hygiene of the students was shown to be deficient when observing the presence of biofilm on the teeth.