title: [Gingival health of adolescents and the utilization of dental services, state of São Paulo, Brazil].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the association between gingival health conditions and dental service utilization.
  
  
  METHODS
  An epidemiological survey of the oral health of 1,799 adolescents was carried out in 35 cities of the state of São Paulo, in 2002. Gingival health was assessed through the prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing and dental calculus (community periodontal index), and dental occlusion was assessed through the dental aesthetic index. The utilization of dental services was measured by means of the dental care index (F/DMFT) for each city. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to adjust explanatory models to factors associated with the outcome variables of interest.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing was 21.5%, whereas dental calculus was prevalent in 19.4%. Male participants, who were either black or dark-skinned, lived in crowded homes, in rural areas, and showed schooling delay, were at a significantly higher risk than their respective counterparts. The following dental occlusion characteristics were also associated with unhealthy gum: incisor segment crowding, vertical anterior open bite, and antero-posterior molar relationship. Cities with a higher utilization of dental services showed a smaller proportion of adolescents with gingival bleeding and dental calculus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The utilization of dental services was significantly associated with better gingival health conditions (gingival bleeding and dental calculus). This association did not depend on contextual and individual sociodemographic characteristics or dental occlusion.
authors: Departamento de Odontologia Social, Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. leopoldo@usp.br
authors: José Leopoldo Ferreira
authors: JL
authors: Antunes
authors: Marco Aurélio
authors: MA
authors: Peres
authors: Antonio Carlos
authors: AC
authors: Frias
authors: Edgard Michel
authors: EM
authors: Crosato
authors: Maria Gabriela Haye
authors: MG
authors: Biazevic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003752:Dental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003753:Dental Health Surveys; D005260:Female; D005882:Gingival Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence