Evaluation of dental health and sugar consumption in 12-year-old schoolchildren

Objective: To investigate the correlation between dental caries and sugar consumption in 12-year-old schoolchildren from public and private schools in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: The DMFS and CPI indexes as well as the number of white lesions (WL) were assessed by a calibrated dentist, using CPI probes and mirrors, following the WHO recommendations. A 7-day diet diary was used for determining the frequency of sugar consumption in and between meals. Socioeconomic and behavioral variables were collected in a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The means (SD) DMFT, CPI and WL were 2.00 (3.27), 1.41 (1.63) e 0.46 (1.32), respectively. Data analysis demonstrated significant association between the following: WL and morning snack (p=0.0282; r=0.1618), WL and lunch (p=0.0539; r=0.1425), monthly family income and dinner (p<0.001; r=0.2970), father's education and dinner (p=0.0027; r=0.2430), and onset of tooth brushing and dinner (p=0.0159; r=0.1786). There was a higher consumption of sugared foods between meals (mean=17.48; sd=14.68). Conclusion: Although there was no correlation between DMFS and sugar consumption, white lesions correlated with sugar consumption, which makes the rational use of sugar a relevant factor in caries prevention. This study was supported by FAPESP (05/56699-6), São Paulo, Brazil.