Resumo

MENEGHIM, Marcelo de Castro et al. Impact of educational programs on oral conditions in schoolchildren of 6 and 7 years of age in two public schools in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2012, vol.48, n.1, pp. 40-46. ISSN 1516-0939.

Aim: To evaluate and compare the oral health status of schoolchildren in two municipalities of different population sizes, under the same conditions of access to fluoride and various educational programs in oral health. Materials and Methods: The sample size calculation was based on the patients' experience sample loss of 20%, and a confidence level of 95% in 95 volunteers. The criteria used for the clinical with caries, considering a margin of error of 10%, a evaluation of caries were those recommended by WHO (1999), as well as the clinical record of active lesions in enamel (white spot lesions), based on the criteria proposed by the Nyvad and Fyfe. The evaluation of the conditions for the presence of bacterial plaque was measured by the Plaque Index, proposed by Loe. The study type was randomized, paired, and blind. Data analysis was performed by means of descriptive statistics of the dmft, initial caries lesions in enamel, and plaque levels, using the Kruskal-Wallis test, univariate analysis (chi-square), and Odds Ratio, all at a significance level α=0,05. Results: The DMFT (standard deviation) for the schoolchildren was 1.6 (2.27) in the municipality of Iracemápolis and 1.9 (2.4) in Piracicaba, with an odds ratio of 0.84 (0.37 to 1.92), with 47.4% cariesfree and 71.5% with plaque present in the oral cavity. There was no statistically significant difference in the severity of dental caries among the municipalities in this study. Conclusion: The results demonstrate the need for a better evaluation of educational programs and a greater time for their applicability.

Palavras-chave : Epidemiology; Dental caries; Dental health education.