Cárie precoce infantil e vulnerabilidade social: um estudo longitudinal

Abstract

Introduction: Health and normality are not static concepts, as both represent a wide group of variables that, when associated, affect the achievement of a healthy condition where individuals experience inequalities due to different chaos, since the social position they occupy has a direct influence on health conditions. Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is defined as the presence of one or more decayed, lost or restored surfaces, as a result of caries disease in any deciduous tooth of a child under 6 years of age. The disease has a major impact on the quality of life of children and their families and an impact on society. Objective: to evaluate the impact of an oral health promotion program on children living in socioeconomically vulnerable conditions. Material and method: This research was carried out in a Center for Nutritional Recovery and Education, located in the city of Maceió/Al. It consists of a longitudinal intervention study carried out over an average interval of 12 months. The sample consisted of children 39 children aged 1 to 4 years old, male and female, randomly selected. Results: There was an increase in the incidence of caries in the evaluated period, when using the dmf-d index. However, there was a reduction in the Visible Plaque Index (VPI) and a reduction in the number of non-cavitated active carious lesions, both with statistical significance (p<0.05). Conclusion: the study showed the effectiveness of implementing measures for prevention and promotion of oral health in children living in social vulnerability.