Prevalência de cárie em adolescentes de 12 anos em uma unidade de saúde de Palmas-TO

Abstract

Dental caries, a non-communicable and multifactorial disease, affects a large portion of the child and adolescent population. This study aimed to conduct an epidemiological survey of dental caries, correlating the disease with socioeconomic factors in 12-year-old adolescents using the DMFT Index in a health unit in the northern region of Palmas, TO. It is a descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative study. The data were organized in Microsoft Excel® and processed in Jamovi 2.3. The research required approval from the Research Ethics Committee. Among the 16 adolescents examined, 56.3% had at least one decayed, missing, or filled tooth. To calculate the index, the sum of 11 decayed teeth, 0 missing teeth, and 9 filled teeth was divided by the number of participants, resulting in a DMFT score of 1.25, classified as low (1.2 to 2.6) according to the WHO. The DMFT Index indicated a low prevalence of caries among the examined 12-year-old adolescents. The main factor identified was the presence of cavities, followed by filled teeth, with a zero prevalence of missing teeth. Thus, socioeconomic factors strongly influenced the prevalence of caries, highlighting the need for strategies to improve access to healthcare services and oral health prevention for high-risk populations.