Objective: To evaluate the influence of disease control, expressed by the mean values of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), in the oral health of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1DM). Subjects and methods: A cross sectional study involving 87 children and adolescents (59 girls), 10 ± 2.6 years old. The participants were divided into three groups: HbA1c ≤ 8%, 8% < HbA1c ≤ 10% and HbA1c > 10%. The duration of the disease, age and average HbA1c were obtained from their medical records. Oral health was evaluated according to the following indexes: Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S); Community Periodontal Index (CPI); Decayed, Missing or Filled Teeth Index (DMFT/dmft) for permanent and deciduous teeth; and the stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR). Results: The median SSFR was 1.1 mL/min in the group with HbA1c ≤ 8%, 0.7 mL/min in the intermediary group and 0.6 mL/min in the HbA1c > 10% group. A significant decrease in salivary flow was observed with an increase in HbA1c (p = 0.007). The DMFT/dmft and CPI indexes were higher in individuals with higher HbA1c values. More caries-free individuals were found in the group with HbA1c ≤ 8% compared to those with HbA1c > 10%. The group with HbA1c > 10% exhibited more caries and bleeding gums than the other groups. HbA1c values in girls were higher than in boys. Conclusion: Children and adolescents with unsatisfactory glycemic control, represented by higher HbA1c concentrations, exhibited a higher frequency of caries and gingivitis, and a reduction in salivary flow. Arch Endocrinol Metab. 2015;59(6):535-40

The aim of the present study was to assess the association between untreated dental caries (UDC) and household food insecurity (HFI) among schoolchildren in different income strata. A population-based study was carried out with a sample of 584 12-y-old schoolchildren. Oral examinations were performed and HFI was determined using a validated scale. Other independent variables were analyzed for being of interest to the stratification of the results (per capita household income) or for acting as potential confounding variables. The prevalence of UDC and HFI was 45% and 39%, respectively. The multivariate models demonstrated that the UDC was significantly more prevalent among children in food-insecure households with per capita income of up to US$ 70.71 than among those in the same income stratum that were free of HFI [PR = 1.52 (95%CI = 1.01-2.29)]. HFI was associated with a greater frequency of UDC among low-income schoolchildren, but had no significant impact on this variable among children from other income strata. Thus, ensuring access to quality food may be a good strategy for minimizing inequities in oral health and reducing dental caries experience among schoolchildren from low-income families.

Background The pathway by which socioeconomic disadvantages are manifested in the occurrence of dental caries remains unclear. Aim To explore how much the association between untreated dental caries and income inequalities is related to household food insecurity (HFI). Design A population‐based study was conducted with a sample of 466 12‐year‐old students. Dental caries was evaluated by an examiner who had undergone calibration exercises. HFI was assessed using the Food Insecurity Scale validated for Brazilian Portuguese. Poisson regression models were created to determine associations between dental caries and both household income and HFI. The proportion of the income effect on dental caries explained by HFI was determined by the variation in percentages between the crude prevalence ratio (PRc) for dental caries and this measure adjusted by HFI (PRa). Results The prevalence of dental caries was higher among children from families with a per capita household income lower than US$ 71 (PR: 1.69; 95%CI: 1.15‐2.49) or from US$ 71 to US$ 142 (PR: 1.50; 95%CI: 1.04‐2.17). Moreover, 14% of the association between a low income and dental caries was explained by HFI. Conclusions Differences in the prevalence of dental caries in schoolchildren related to socioeconomic inequalities could partially be attributed to HFI in low‐income families.

BackgroundIn the present state of knowledge regarding the etiology of dental caries, it is unacceptable for studies addressing factors associated with this outcome to disregard oral hygiene. Simple, valid methods are needed for the assessment of oral hygiene in adolescents to allow this condition to be properly investigated in epidemiological studies on caries and assist in the establishment of health promotion measures. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the self-reported toothbrushing frequency can be used as a proxy measure for clinical oral hygiene indices in epidemiological studies on dental caries in adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with a representative sample (n = 589) of 12-year-old school children in a medium-sized city in southern Brazil. A detailed questionnaire addressing socio-demographic and economic characteristics was sent to primary caregivers. Adolescents answered a brief self-administered questionnaire on behavioral characteristics, including toothbrushing frequency and sugar intake. Samples of stimulated saliva were collected from the adolescents and evaluated for levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli using Dentacult kits I and II, respectively. Examiners who had undergone a training and calibration exercise (kappa > 0.81) performed the clinical examination of the adolescents. Caries experience was assessed using the decayed, missing and filled teeth index. Oral hygiene was determined using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index and the Visible Plaque Index.ResultsWhen the oral hygiene variables were used alone in the multiple models, significant associations with dental caries were found. When Simplified Oral Hygiene Index and/or Plaque Index were used together with toothbrushing frequency in the same model, only the latter was significantly associated with dental caries. A significant association was also found between self-reported toothbrushing frequency and the clinical indices.ConclusionBased on the present findings, self-reported toothbrushing frequency can be used as a proxy measure for clinical oral hygiene indices, which facilitates data collection in epidemiological studies addressing dental caries in adolescents.

The aim of the present study was to analyze dental research trends in Brazil over the past nine years. All abstracts presented at the 26 th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society for Dental Research in 2009 (n = 2648) were classified based on field of knowledge, home institution and geographic region. Data were compared with those previously published based on abstracts presented at various meetings. Between 2001 and 2006, five fields of knowledge had a greater than 10% representation among the total number of studies. These fields included restorative dentistry/dental materials (RD/DM), periodontics, endodontics, pediatric dentistry and population-based oral health. In 2009, only RD/DM maintained a greater than 10% proportion of meeting abstracts, and basic fields comprised the second position among those fields with greater representation (9.8%). The majority of research studies were performed at public institutions, and the number of abstracts per state increased significantly in 2009 (Wilcoxon test, p < 0.001). The southeastern region of Brazil submitted the greatest number of abstracts; however, other regions also demonstrated increased participation in research (11%). The percentage distribution of abstracts between states remained constant (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.255; r s = 0.873). The results of the present study suggest a slight shift in the scientific research profile in Brazilian dentistry: fields related to professional disciplines have declined in relative research participation, while increasing interest has been observed in basic fields and new specialties.