Prevalence and prognostic factors of dental caries in population aged 15 to 19

Abstract

Introduction: ages between 15 and 19 years is a stage in which attitudes and healthy behaviors such as the prevention of dental caries can be consolidated.
Objectives: identify the prevalence of dental caries and the prognostic factors leading to disease in adolescents aged 15 to 19 assisted at medical practices 8 and 25 in Julian Grimau Health Area during 2012.
Method: a descriptive research was conducted. The universe was 120 adolescents, residing in the health areas of these two medical practices. Variables were explored such as oral health status, socio-economic characteristics, harmful health practices, and health damage. Data is summarized in absolute frequencies and percentages. Statistical independence test was applied to identify the association between the presence of dental caries and these variables with a significance level of 0.05. For identifying of prognostic factors, the sample was divided into two groups: cases (teenagers with cavities) and controls (those who did not have). The stepwise logistic regression was used and variables to the model were added through Wald statistic with 0.05 significance.
Results: the third of adolescents had caries. Those affected presented more frequently previous history of caries, presence of plaque, use of braces, periodontal disease, improper brushing, cariogenic food consumption, inadequate housing conditions and the occupation of adolescents and their parents responded to low income salary. The caries prognostic factors were previous history of caries, the presence of gum disease, cariogenic foods, crowding and their mother´s occupation.
Conclusions: the presence of caries was associated with harmful health practices and socio-economic and clinical aspects, which in turn forecasts the emergence of a new dental condition of such factors.