Influence of eating habits and socioeconomic profile on students’ oral health

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the association between the presence of tooth decay and the eating habits, oral hygiene habits, and socioeconomic profile of children in the fifth grade at the state secondary and elementary school Pedro Simão in Alegre, ES. Methods: Questionnaires were used to evaluate the socioeconomic profile, eating habits, and oral hygiene habits of the fifth-grade students. Then an epidemiological survey on dental caries and on the presence of dental plaque was conducted. After the first clinical examination, the students completed educational and preventive activities about nutritional and oral hygiene education. One week after the performance of the educational actions, the dental plate index was evaluated. Results: The variables “family income” and “number of members” in the family were statistically significant (p≤0.20) with caries association using a bivariate regression analysis. However, variables related to diet did not present a significant association with caries (p>0.20). The initial and final IHOS were 1.85 and 0.92, respectively, which was significantly lower after the intervention (p<0.05). The DMFT was 1.81, which is higher than the average for the Southeast Brazil, obtained in 2010 by the Brazilian National Oral Health Survey (SB Brazil). Conclusion The caries prevalence was high in the sample studied, and the intervention was important to reduce the students’ dental plaque levels and improve their oral hygiene condition. Thus, it is necessary to develop continuous educational programs so that oral health is maintained.