Fatores associados a cárie dentária não tratada em adolescentes: um estudo de base populacional

Abstract

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic non-communicable diseases among adolescents, significantly impacting their quality of life. This study analyzed the factors associated with untreated dental caries in 12-year-old adolescents. An epidemiological survey was conducted in the five largest cities (> 80,000 inhabitants) of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Data on caries experience according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and on adolescent behavior were collected. The theoretical framework of social determinants of oral health guided all analyses. Univariate and adjusted multilevel logistic regressions were performed to test the association of untreated dental caries with behavioral and sociodemographic factors. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee (CAAE number 85647518.4.0000.0021). The prevalence of untreated dental caries at 12 years of age was 25.3% (95% CI 18.8-33.1). In the adjusted models, socio-demographic characteristics such as income above the poverty level [OR= 0.55 (95%CI 0.33; 0.91), water fluoridation [OR= 0.58 (95%CI 0.28; 0.99) and brushing more than 2x/day [ OR= 0.54 (95%CI 0.32; 0.91) were associated with caries untreated dental disease, as protective factors. The risk factors were inadequate food consumption [OR= 5.00 (95%CI 2.21; 11.62) and sedentary behavior [OR= 1.56 (95%CI 1.00; 2.52)]. Sociodemographic, behavioral and contextual factors were associated with untreated dental caries in adolescents. Oral health teams should focus on transdisciplinary actions such as healthy food consumption and avoiding sedentary behavior. Furthermore, water fluoridation is essential due to its ability to reduce the incidence of cavities at a population level, especially in vulnerable groups such as adolescents, being a widely effective preventive measure.