Risk indicators of dental caries in 5-year-old Brazilian children.
OBJECTIVE
To report the prevalence and severity of dental caries and to identify caries risk indicators among gender, clinical and socioeconomic variables in 5-year-old children attending preschools in Piracicaba, Brazil, in 2005.


METHODS
The random sample consisted of 728 subjects attending public and private preschools that were examined by a calibrated dentist. Dental caries was measured using WHO criteria. The socioeconomic variables (type of school, monthly family income, number of people living in the household, parents' educational level and home ownership) were collected by means of a parental semi structured questionnaire.


RESULTS
The mean dmft was 1.30 (SD=2.47); 62.2% were caries-free. The multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the risk indicators of caries were father's incomplete college education and presence of initial lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of dental caries in 5-year-old preschool attenders in Piracicaba was moderate, and father's educational status below undergraduate level, as well as presence of initial lesions, were risk indicators of the disease.
Cortellazzi
K L
KL
Department of Community Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.
Pereira
S Márcia
SM
Tagliaferro
E P da Silva
EP
Tengan
C
C
Ambrosano
G M B
GM
Meneghim
M de Castro
Mde C
Pereira
A C
AC
D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003750:Dental Fissures / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires