Abstract

MACHADO, Daniella Borges; ABREU, Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de  and  VARGAS, Andréa Maria Duarte. Oral health status of adolescents within socio-educational units in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2010, vol.46, n.3, pp. 160-167. ISSN 1516-0939.

This study aimed to investigate the oral health status of adolescents from socio-educational units in Belo Horizonte, Brazil and its relationship with socio-demographic data from this group. This research was conducted with 183 adolescents from three detention centers run by the Department of Socio-Educational Assistance from the state of Minas Gerais. The clinical dental examination was conducted by the researcher and was carried out within the detention centers. The codes established for the classification of oral health were those used by the Municipal Belo Horizonte. It could be concluded that adolescents, when deprived of their freedom, tended to be mostly free of caries and periodontal disease (61.0%). The present study showed that sociodemographic data have little correlation with the presence of the aforementioned diseases and that factors, such as psychological treatment, seem to positively affect oral health. This association requires further study to reach a more appropriate interpretation.

Keywords : Adolescent; Institutionalized; Oral health.