title: Prevalence of enamel defects and association with dental caries in preschool children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This was to evaluate the prevalence of the developmental defects of enamel (DDE) in primary teeth and its association with dental caries.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study with a randomised representative sample was carried out with 1101 children aged 2-5 years enrolled in public preschools (50% prevalence of DDE in primary teeth, a standard error of 3%, and a confidence level of 95%). Three calibrated dentists (K > 0.62) performed clinical examination. Data collected were: sex, age, DDE (Modified DDE Index) and dental caries (WHO). Descriptive analysis, Chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression were applied for data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among children, 565 (51.3%) were boys; mean age was 3.7 (±0.9 years). The prevalence of enamel defect was 39.1%; the prevalence of diffuse opacities, demarcated opacities and enamel hypoplasia was 25.3, 19.1 and 6.1%, respectively. The prevalence of dental caries was 31.0%, with mean def-t 1.14 (±2.44). Primary teeth with enamel hypoplasia had three times the odds of having dental caries than those with absence of enamel defects (OR = 3.10; 95% CI: 1.91, 5.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence of enamel defects was moderate and associated with dental caries.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Universitário, CCS-ODT-Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Massignan
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Universitário, CCS-ODT-Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ximenes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Universitário, CCS-ODT-Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: da Silva Pereira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Universitário, CCS-ODT-Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Universitário, CCS-ODT-Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bolan
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Odontologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, UFSC, Campus Universitário, CCS-ODT-Trindade, Florianópolis, SC, 88040-900, Brazil. mariane.cardoso@ufsc.br.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003744:Dental Enamel Hypoplasia / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous
keywords: Dental caries; Developmental defect enamel; Preschool; Primary teeth