[Dental caries in 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren from public and private schools in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, in 2001].
The aim of this paper was to assess the caries experience of 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren from public and private schools in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, and to identify the access of children to dental services and the coverage of such services, which might be related to differences between the groups. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 3,313 clinical exams, which followed the WHO (1997) criteria for the diagnosis of dental caries. The analysis was carried out by means of the Student's t test, the chi-square test and analysis of covariance. There were no differences regarding DMFT and frequency of caries-free individuals between public and private schools. However, while F (filled teeth) was the most prevalent component of the index in subjects from private schools, M (missing teeth) was the most common in those from public schools. The access to dental services in the last year was the only variable associated to the differences between both groups. Thus, the importance of access to dental services and social benefits must be pointed out in order to guarantee equity in oral health.
Cangussu
Maria Cristina Teixeira
MC
Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade Federal da Bahia.
Castellanos
Roberto Augusto
RA
Pinheiro
Márcia Farias
MF
de Albuquerque
Silvana Rodrigues
SR
Pinho
Cristina
C
D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D015995:Prevalence; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector