title: Geographic information systems (GIS) in assessing dental health.
abstract: The present study investigated the distribution profile of dental caries and its association with areas of social deprivation at the individual and contextual level. The cluster sample consisted of 1,002 12-year-old schoolchildren from Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The DMFT Index was used for dental caries and the Care Index was used to determine access to dental services. On the individual level, variables were associated with a better oral status. On the contextual level, areas were not associated with oral status. However, maps enabled determining that the central districts have better social and oral conditions than the deprived outlying districts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, Piracicaba Dental School, P.O. BOX 52. University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. stela@fop.unicamp.br
authors.forename: Stela M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Gláucia M B
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ambrosano
authors.forename: Karine L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cortellazzi
authors.forename: Elaine P S
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Tagliaferro
authors.forename: Carlos A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Vettorazzi
authors.forename: Sílvio F B
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.forename: Marcelo C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Meneghim
authors.forename: Antonio C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D016000:Cluster Analysis; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health