Abstract
ABSTRACT Objective To assess oral hygiene habits, and prevalence of dental caries and erosion in adolescents of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Methods Cross-sectional study with random cluster sampling involving 201 15-year-old schoolchildren. Oral health habits were obtained through questionnaire, and socioeconomic data, by means of interviews. The DMFT index was adopted to determine the prevalence of caries and that proposed by O’Sullivan, to assess dental erosion. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18. A 5% significance level was adopted. Results All subjects reported using toothbrush and toothpaste, 50.7% reported dental flossing, and association was found between sex and use of mouthwash (p <0.05). Regarding dental caries, the mean DMFT was 3.67 and 51.7% had DMFT lower than or equal to 3. For dental erosion, 18.4% of the sample had erosive lesions, predominantly enamel lesions (92%). Conclusion The use of dental floss was low and adolescents revealed unsatisfactory index. The DMF-T value was moderate and lower than that reported for the Brazilian age group. The prevalence of dental erosion was high, with predominance of enamel lesions.
Highlights
Factors considered extra-biological, such as economic level, behaviors and self-care have been pointed out as being factors that lead to increasing prevalence of oral pathologies in adolescents[1]
All subjects reported using toothbrush and toothpaste, 50.7% reported dental flossing, and association was found between sex and use of mouthwash (p
The DMF-T value was moderate and lower than that reported for the Brazilian age group
Summary
Factors considered extra-biological, such as economic level, behaviors and self-care have been pointed out as being factors that lead to increasing prevalence of oral pathologies in adolescents[1]. Studies began to be directed towards other areas to monitor the trends in the population related to oral health diseases, among them, the growing prevalence of dental erosion in children and adolescents, with the main consequence of wear on the tooth surface[4,5]. This is of idiopathic origin or is caused by a known source of acid[6], with individual factors and lifestyle having great relevance in its development[7]. In view of the foregoing, the aim of this study was to evaluate the oral hygiene habits and the prevalence of dental caries and erosion in adolescents
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