Dental caries spectrum profile in Brazilian public school children and adolescents

Abstract Dental caries remains a major public health problem, with a higher prevalence among in adolescence. The present study aimed to assess the dental caries spectrum profile in children and adolescents in Brazilian public schools. A cross-sectional study was performed in two public schools in Brazil to examine the permanent teeth of children and adolescents. The dental caries were assessed by applying the Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST) instrument, and the results were distributed as per disease status (healthy/codes 0–2; pre-morbidity/code 3; morbidity/code 4–5; severe morbidity/codes 6–7; mortality/code 8) and by severity as per the CAST-F1 formula (no severity, mild, moderate, and severe). The CAST data were described by age groups (8–9 y, 10–11 y, 12–13 y, 14–15 y, 16–17 y, and 18–19 y). The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to investigate differences in CAST prevalence and severity among the groups (p