title: Dental caries in 12-year-old schoolchildren and its relationship with socioeconomic and behavioural variables.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study attempts to describe the caries experience in 12-year-old schoolchildren in Piracicaba, Brazil, and to verify the relationship between the disease and socioeconomic factors, and behavioural variables related to oral health.
  
  
  METHODS
  The random sample consisted of 939 individuals from public and private schools in Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil, in 2005. A calibrated dentist performed the examination in an outdoor setting, under natural light, using CPI probes and mirrors, following WHO recommendations. A questionnaire was sent to the parents to collect information on socioeconomic level and behavioural variables related to dental health. The mean number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth and surfaces (DMFT/DMFS), the Care Index and the SiC (Significant Caries Index) were determined. Multiple logistic regression analyses using the stepwise procedure were performed in order to identify the risk indicators for the DMFT and for the polarisation group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DMFT and the SiC Index were 1.32 (SD = 1.92) and 3.52 (SD = 1.86), respectively, and the Care Index was 75.0%. The regression models showed that females and children with either low family income or low education level of the fathers were prone to have caries or take part in the polarisation group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The 12-year-old individuals from Piracicaba presented a low prevalence of caries. Nevertheless, those high caries-level individuals showed moderate caries experience. The socioeconomic and the behavioural variables related to dental health were risk indicators of caries in permanent dentition not only for the entire sample, but also for the polarisation group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. stela@fop.unicamp.br
authors.forename: Stela Márcia
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Elaine Pereira da Silva
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Tagliaferro
authors.forename: Gláucia Maria Bovi
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ambrosano
authors.forename: Karine Laura
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cortelazzi
authors.forename: Marcelo de Castro
authors.initials: Mde C
authors.lastname: Meneghim
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires