title: [Use of dental care by children and associated factors in Sobral, Ceará State, Brazil].
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the use of dental services by children in Sobral, Ceará State, Brazil, relating such use to socioeconomic factors and patterns of service consumption. An analytical cross-sectional study was performed, interviewing parents or guardians of 3,425 children. The relationship between independent variables and use of dental services was analyzed using tests of association (chi-squared), odds ratios (OR) and respective confidence intervals, and multiple logistic regression. 50.9% of children had used dental services at least once in their lives. Of these, 65.3% had used such services in the previous year and 85.4% in public dental services. The importance of the Brazilian Unified National Health System is highlighted by the response in terms of access to dental services, considering that the vast majority of treatment was provided by this public system. The factors that most affected use of dental services were socioeconomic status, health plan coverage, owning a toothbrush, regular garbage collection, maternal knowledge, sewage treatment, and malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Curso de Odontologia, Universidade de Fortaleza, Fortaleza, Brazil. noro@unifor.br
authors.forename: Luiz Roberto Augusto
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Noro
authors.forename: Angelo Giuseppe
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Roncalli
authors.forename: Francisco Ivan Rodrigues
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Mendes Júnior
authors.forename: Kenio Costa
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lima
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017061:Prepaid Health Plans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017150:Public Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data