Oral health indicators and job market insertion: a descriptive study with data from the National Health Survey, Brazil, 2019

Abstract

Objective: to describe three oral health indicators-the proportions of tooth loss, dental visits, and toothbrushing frequency-according to job market insertion in 2019. Methods: a descriptive study with data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS). We included individuals aged from 18 years or older, irrespective of employment status. We calculated the oral health indicators, as well as their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: the sample was composed by 54,343 workers, 29,889 (53.9%) being male. The proportion of 13 or more teeth loss was higher in the informal employment sector [10.5% (95%CI: 9.8;11.2)]. The proportion of people that did not consult a dentist in the previous 12 months was higher in the informal sector [51.9% (95%CI: 50.8;53.0)] and among unemployed [52.4% (95%CI: 49.6;55.2)]. Lower toothbrushing frequency was observed in the informal workers’ group [5.2% (95%CI: 4.7;5.6)] and among male workers [7.5% (95%CI: 6.8;8.2)]. Conclusion: worse oral health indicators were found among informal and unemployed workers, in addition to gender inequalities.