Oral health of 12-year-old children in Quito, Ecuador: a population-based epidemiological survey

• Published in: BMC oral health 2019-08, Vol.19 (1), p.184-184, Article 184
• Main Authors: Michel-Crosato, Edgard, Raggio, Daniela Prócida, Coloma-Valverde, Alba Narcisa de Jesus, Lopez, Edisson Fernando, Alvarez-Velasco, Patricia Lourdes, Medina, Marco Vinicio, Balseca, Mariela Cumanda, Quezada-Conde, Maritza Del Carmen, de Almeida Carrer, Fernanda Campos, Romito, Giuseppe Alexandre, Araujo, Maria Ercilia, Biazevic, Maria Gabriela Haye, Braga, Mariana Minatel, Fratucci, Maristela Vilas Boas, Mendes, Fausto Medeiros, Frias, Antonio Carlos, Pannuti, Claudio Mendes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Care and treatment; Child; Child health; Children; Cities and towns; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental caries; Dental Caries - epidemiology; Dental trauma; Dentistry; DMF Index; Ecuador - epidemiology; Educational environment; Epidemiology; Fluorides; Fluorosis; Gingival bleeding; Health surveys; Humans; Infrastructure (Economics); Malocclusion; Medical examination; Oral Health; Population; Prevalence; Quality of Life; Risk factors; Schools; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 1472-6831; 1472-6831
• DOI: 10.1186/s12903-019-0863-9

There is a paucity of population-based surveys on oral health conditions in Ecuador. Thus, the aim of this study was to conduct an epidemiological survey with a representative sample of children aged 12 years from public schools of Quito, Ecuador. The aim of this initial report was to describe the methodology used in the survey, as well to present results regarding calibration procedures and prevalence of oral-health related outcomes. We invited 33 public schools' coordinators from the urban area of Quito, and 1100 children (12 years old) to take part in this study. Six trained and calibrated examiners conducted clinical examinations using oral mirrors and ball-ended probes to assess: dental caries, traumatic dental injuries, malocclusion, gingival bleeding, presence of calculus and fluorosis. Children also responded a questionnaire on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). Individual sociodemographic data was collected through a questionnaire sent to parents. Moreover, some contextual data on school environment (infrastructure conditions, promotion of health practices and negative episodes) were also evaluated. Prevalence values, crude and weighted by sampling weights, and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Nine hundred and ninety-eight children from 31 schools were examined from March to May 2017. The adjusted prevalence values (95%CI) for the six outcomes evaluated were: dental caries = 60.3% (55.3 to 65.0%); traumatic dental injuries = 20.7% (17.2 to 24.8%); dental fluorosis = 63.7% (58.5 to 68.5%); gingival bleeding = 92.0% (87.1 to 95.2%); presence of calculus = 69.9 (60.5 to 77.9%); and malocclusion = 25.8% (21.8 to 30.3%). Adjusted mean of number of decayed, missed or filled permanent teeth (DMF-T) was 1.61 (1.37 to 1.84). Results on OHRQoL and other contextual variables will be reported in other articles. The prevalence of the majority of oral health problems in 12-year-old children from public schools in Quito-Ecuador was compatible with those observed in other similar cities. However, periodontal health and fluorosis seem to be highly prevalent in children from Quito.