Background: Oral health is, without any doubt, a precious and essencial part of general health and quality of life. Changing a child’s behaviour towards health is the starting point to reduce the prevalence of caries, in rural or urban areas, decreasing disparities in healthcare among residence areas. The aim of this study was to assess oral health behaviours among Portuguese adolescents from rural and urban communities, as well as the determination of the prevalence of dental caries and fissure sealants. Methods: A pilot-study designed as a epidemiological observational cross-sectional study was made in a sample of adolescents aged eight to seventeen years old, attending four public schools of the districts of Viseu and Guarda, Portugal. In Aguiar da Beira we observed 123 adolescents (94 – rural area, 28 urban area), 51 in Abraveses (16 rural area, 35 urban area), 50 at Mundao (47 – rural are, 2 urban area) and 48 in Silgueiros (36 – rural area, 12 urban area). We applied a questionnaire, in the classrooms, with questions about oral health behaviours and socio-demographic status. We received all questionaires we delivered. Intra-oral examination was performed in each adolescent and then the intra-oral exam file was associated with each questionnaire, in order to determinate the association with caries and fissure sealants prevalence, as well as the integrity of the fissure sealants observed. Results:The majority of adolescents practice oral hygiene habits at least once a day (77,5%), and 59,3% toothbrush twice a day. In rural areas, 63,5% toothbrush twice a day and in urban areas 47,5% (p>0,05). According to gender, females are more careful with their oral health, 83,1% females brush their teeth everyday while just 72,1% of boys, p>0,05 (p=0,035) brush everyday. Just 5,9% of adolescent floss daily, but the vast majority had gone to a dentist at least once in the private sector. There are no differences in the access to oral healthcare with a professional among rural and urban areas. The sample studied have poor sugar intake. Just 4,0% consume sugary foods everyday and the majority said that the intake of sugary foods was made during of after meal. The prevalence of fissure sealants was 53,1% and the DMFT index was 1,42. Conclusion: Adolescents´ behaviours are associated with socio-demographic conditions, and they tend to follow the lifestyles of their parents and other family relatives. The important part of adolescents have routine dental appointments (40,6%). Sealants’ prevalence are inferior in urban areas, 46,8% in urban areas and 55,4% in urban areas, p>0,05 (p=0,299). In this study, 22,8% of adolescents were caries free in rural areas against 20,8% in urban areas, p=0,038. DMFT index in this sample was at a low level of caries’ prevalence, values in conformity with the actual scene of the country. The opinion of adolescent about their own health were lagged from reality, with numbers of DMFT=0 just 1,8% refers that their oral health are “very good” and DMFT>12 3,5% think that have a “very good” oral health, p<0,05 (p=0,008)
Date of Award | 17 Sept 2012 |
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Original language | Portuguese |
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Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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Supervisor | Jorge Leitão (Supervisor) & Nélio Jorge Veiga (Co-Supervisor) |
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