Saúde bucal de crianças em uma creche municipal de Uberaba(MG): associação com aspectos demográficos e socioeconômicos

Abstract

Early childhood caries is characterized by decayed, missing, or filled teeth in children up to six years old. Despite its multifactorial etiology, early consumption of sugary foods and poor oral hygiene are the primary factors associated with increased risk of developing the disease. In this context, family socioeconomic status has been addressed as a potential influencer of children's habits. In Uberaba (MG), the Health Department, through the School Health Program, classifies children's caries risk into two categories: R1 (high risk) and R2/R3 (low risk). To measure oral health condition in clinical settings, the dmft index can be used: decayed (d), missing (m), or filled (f) primary teeth (t). The objective of this study was to investigate risk factors, socioeconomic characteristics, and associated habits regarding the incidence and progression of caries in children attending a daycare in Uberaba (MG). For this purpose, risk assessment for caries was conducted in 2018 and 2019 at the daycare. In 2023, oral health conditions of 33 children from the same group were assessed using the dmft index. Parents or guardians were invited to answer a questionnaire about socioeconomic conditions and family habits related to diet and oral hygiene. Based on the risk assessment conducted at the daycare, the majority of children (69.7%) were at low risk for caries in 2018 and 2019. A high rate of active caries (66.7%) and a considerable rate of restorative treatment (42.4%) were identified in 2023. Despite the dmft index of the population being considered of moderate caries prevalence (dmft = 3.12), there was a more significant positive correlation with the "d" component (decay), suggesting that the dmft value was more influenced by the number of decayed teeth than by the number of filled teeth. A high proportion of children with a dmft between 1 and 3 had a low-risk classification, indicating that the low risk identified at the daycare does not guarantee immunity to caries over time. The majority (90%) of high-risk children had restorative treatment, and dmft values were higher in the high-risk group. We did not confirm the hypothesis that early consumption of sugar-rich foods is associated with impaired oral health. Consumption of sweets was shown to increase the chance of a child having a dmft index above 1 by more than 20 times. Brushing frequency tends to decrease as children grow older and the longer a child uses a pacifier. Moreover, the longer a child uses a bottle, the longer the use of a pacifier, suggesting that the bottle is indirectly an aggravating factor.