Análise de prevalência de fluorose e cárie dentária em crianças de uma escola pública de Manaus – AM

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of dental fluorosis and dental caries in students from a public school in the city of Manaus, Amazonas. This is an observational, analytical, descriptive, and cross-sectional study conducted with 212 schoolchildren aged 6 to 11 years from Escola Municipal Agenor Ferreira Lima. The clinical examination was performed in the school environment using a dental mirror and a probe recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Dental fluorosis was diagnosed using Dean’s Index, and dental caries was assessed using the DMFT index. Statistical analysis included descriptive procedures and association tests, adopting a significance level of p < 0,05. Among the participants, 54.29% were female, and 43.6% were 8 years old. The prevalence of fluorosis was 25%, with a predominance of very mild and mild degrees, while the prevalence of dental caries was 46.2%. A statistically significant association was observed between fluorosis and sex (p = 0.014), with higher occurrence in girls. No statistically significant associations were found between fluorosis and age (p = 0.063), nor between dental caries and fluorosis (p = 0.689), indicating that the presence of fluorosis does not imply additional protection against caries. The results highlight the need for continuous monitoring of fluoride exposure to ensure its preventive benefits against dental caries while reducing the risk and severity of fluorosis.