Prevalence and severity of dental caries in elementary school students in a vulnerable municipality

Abstract Introduction Dental caries is still a public health problem in most industrialized countries, with a higher prevalence in the most socioeconomically vulnerable populations. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of dental caries and curative actions performed in students from 6 to 14 years of elementary school during four months of intervention. Material and method Cross-sectional study was conducted with 130 students from Sarandi / PR. To diagnose dental caries, dmft, DMFT and ICDAS II indices were used. The students received curative care according to the needs presented associated with preventive educational activities. Result The prevalence of dental caries was 70% and 83% according to the ceo-d / CPO-D and ICDAS II index, respectively. The codes for ICDAS II with thw highest prevalence were ICDAS 5 and 6 (1.57% and 3.69% respectively), while Code 4 was the least prevalent (0.30%).Most restorative treatments were performed by the ART technique (150 restorations). Ninety applications of fluoride varnish were performed on initial carious lesions. The most complex treatments were referred to the Basic Health Unit of the municipality. Of the 32 students referred, 21 attended and endodontic treatments and primary and permanent teeth extraction were performed. Conclusion The studied population has a high prevalence of caries and after four months of intervention, it was observed that ART was decisive for most treatment needs (59.2%), presenting itself as an efficient strategy that can be implemented in places that do not offer the structure of a dental office.

【摘要】
龋齿仍是多数工业化国家面临的公共卫生问题，在社会经济地位最弱势的人群中患病率更高。
**研究目的**：本研究旨在评估为期4个月的干预期间，6至14岁小学生的龋齿患病率、严重程度及所实施的治疗措施。
**材料与方法**：本研究为横断面研究，纳入巴西巴拉那州萨拉迪市的130名小学生。采用dmft（乳牙龋失补牙数指数）、DMFT（恒牙龋失补牙数指数）以及ICDAS II（国际龋病检测与评估系统II）指数进行龋齿诊断。根据学生的诊疗需求提供针对性治疗，并同步开展预防性健康教育活动。
**结果**：依据ceo-d / CPO-D指数与ICDAS II指数，龋齿患病率分别为70%与83%。ICDAS II编码中患病率最高的为5型与6型（分别为1.57%与3.69%），而4型患病率最低（0.30%）。绝大多数修复治疗采用ART（非创伤性修复治疗，Atraumatic Restorative Treatment）技术，共完成150例修复体。共对早期龋损实施90次氟保护漆涂布。病情最为复杂的病例被转诊至本市基层卫生服务中心。在被转诊的32名学生中，21名完成就诊，研究者为其实施了牙髓治疗及乳牙与恒牙拔除术。
**结论**：本研究受试人群的龋齿患病率较高；在为期4个月的干预后，结果显示ART可满足绝大多数（59.2%）的治疗需求，是一种可在无牙科诊室硬件条件的地区推广的高效治疗策略。