Prevalencia de caries dental y factores asociados en los adolescentes de la Fundación de la Unidad Educativa Santa María de la Esperanza FUSMAE, Chordeleg abril – junio 2023

Abstract

Introduction: dental caries is a prevalent disease worldwide and presents significant challenges in terms of prevention due to multiple associated factors. It is related to age, with adolescents between 12 and 15 years being particularly vulnerable due to the incomplete mineralization of their dental tissues, making them more susceptible. Objective: to determine the prevalence of dental caries and its associated factors in adolescents at the Unidad Educativa Santa María de la Esperanza (FUSMAE). Methodology: a cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at FUSMAE in Chordeleg, Ecuador, in 2023, with a population of 98 students aged 12 to 18. Clinical evaluations and surveys on oral health, socioeconomic status, and behaviors related to oral hygiene were carried out. The presence of caries was measured using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT). Study variables were analyzed as frequencies expressed in percentages, and a statistically significant association with social and behavioral factors was considered when p<0.05. The SPSS software (version 25.0) was used for statistical analysis. Results: high prevalence of caries (89.9%), though most had a very low-risk DMFT index, with a prevalence ratio of 1.003 (0.967; 1.040) for the variable 'I like my teeth,' 0.997 (0.976; 1.019) for 'I avoid smiling,' 0.983 (0.939; 1.029) for 'They make fun of my teeth,' 0.887 (0.757; 1.040) for 'Missed classes/dental pain,' and 1.015 (0.947; 1.089) for 'Difficulty/chewing hard foods,' in a population with a middle socioeconomic profile (39.8%). These prevalences were associated using Fisher's exact test with p-values below the stipulated threshold for school absences due to dental pain (p = 0.036) and difficulty chewing hard foods (p = 0.012). Conclusions: this study showed a high prevalence of dental caries among adolescents of type C socioeconomic status in the FUSMAE community. School absenteeism due to dental pain and difficulty chewing hard foods were identified as determinant factors.