Prevalence and Factors Associated to Dental Erosion in 12-year-Old School Children from the City of Joaçaba (SC-Brazil)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of erosion in the permanent dentition of 12-year-old schoolchildren in the municipality of Joaçaba (SC-Brazil) and identify the factors associated with this condition. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 222, 12-year-old schoolchildren in the municipality. The presence and severity of erosion were evaluated by the O’Brien index for the four maxillary incisors and first permanent molars A questionnaire was also applied to trace the hygiene-diet and health profile of the participants in relation to tooth erosion. The data obtained were statistically analyzed by the Chi-square test and logistic regression models (a=5%). The prevalence of erosion was 9% (CI95%, 0.53-3.46%), with lesions restricted to enamel. The presence of erosion was shown to be associated with variables related to the schoolchildren’s general health, oral hygiene and dietary habits. Only the variables acidity (OR=5.86; CI95%:1.65-20.77), habit of having a beverage at night (OR=5.49; CI95%:1.60-18.33) and not using dental floss (OR=4.44; CI95%:1.18-16.63) remained after analysis of the multiple logistic regression model. The presence of tooth erosion value was lower than that verified in the literature for the age-range of the study. The risk of developing tooth erosion was higher in children who had the habit of ingesting a beverage at night, those who did not use dental floss and reported having acidity.