Incidence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in the School Period in a Municipality in Southern Brazil

Abstract Objective: To estimate the incidence of dental caries and associated factors in the school period from six/seven to ten years of age. Material and Methods: A longitudinal study involving 168 children was followed up between 2015 and 2019 in the municipality of Palhoça, Brazil. The dependent variable was the caries incidence rate in the mixed dentition. The independent variables included information regarding demographic and socioeconomic status. Multivariate analyzes were carried out using Poisson Regression with a robust estimator. Variables with p <0.20 in the bivariate analysis were included in the adjusted model. Relative risks were estimated, as well as 95% confidence intervals. Results: Of 168 followed schoolchildren, 32 developed the disease, providing an incidence rate of 19.0%. Female children had a 10% higher risk [RR = 1.10 (95% CI 1.03; 1.18)] of developing caries than males. Also, children born from fathers with ≤ 8 years of schooling at baseline had a 9% higher risk [RR = 1.09 (95% CI 1.01; 1.16)] of developing dental caries compared to fathers with higher education. Conclusion: The incidence of dental caries in a four-year period was 19.0%. Females and children born from fathers with a lower level of education showed higher incidence rates.

Prevalence of Sleep Bruxism and Association with Oral Health Conditions in Schoolchildren in a Municipality in Southern Brazil

Abstract Objective: To estimate the prevalence of sleep bruxism and its association with oral health conditions in schoolchildren. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in public schools of Tubarão, SC, Brazil with students aged 10 to 15 years. The oral examination was performed in classrooms by dental surgeons, using the WHO criteria. Data on malocclusions, caries and dental trauma, fluorosis, bleeding gums and the presence of dental calculus were collected. For the diagnosis of bruxism, the criterion of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine was adopted. The chi-square test was used to assess the association between sleep bruxism and oral health conditions. Prevalence ratios and confidence intervals were estimated by Poisson regression with robust estimator. Results: A total of 389 students were examined. The prevalence of sleep bruxism was 22.0%. Schoolchildren with malocclusion, increased overjet and dental calculus showed a statistically higher and independent prevalence of 9.0% (p=0.003), 6.0% (p=0.006) and 19.0% (p<0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Prevalence of sleep bruxism was 22% in the study population and was associated with malocclusions, particularly increased overjet, and the presence of dental calculus.