Determinação do CPOD e comportamentos de saúde oral numa amostra de adolescentes do concelho de Mangualde

Introduction: A moderate to high prevalence of oral diseases among adolescents remain a reality among our population. The frequency of toothbrushing, daily use of dental floss and regular dental appointments are important determinants of oral health. The main objectives of this study consisted in determining the average score of permanent decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT index) and characterize oral health behaviours in a sample of adolescents of the city of Mangualde. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 156 adolescents of the seventh and tenth grade of the Felismina Alcantara elementary and high school of Mangualde. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire containing questions related with oral health behaviours, completed by the adolescents in the classroom. The oral examination to determine the DMFT index was performed with the probe approved for diagnosis of dental caries by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the classroom and with natural and artificial light of the classroom. Results: In this study a DMFT of 4.05 ± 3.59 was obtained with a decay component of 2.92 ± 2.86. Of the total sample, 25.6% of adolescents do not brush at least twice per day, 82.1% do not use dental floss daily and 32.7% had not visited the dentist in the last twelve months. Conclusions: The DMFT index obtained falls within the moderate level, not reaching the goals advocated by the WHO. A small proportion of adolescents present adequate oral health behaviours when analyzing toothbrushing, use of dental floss and regular dental appointments.