Abstract

CHAVES, Renata Almeida et al. Dental office in schools: analysis of the students' gingival health and oral hygiene. RGO, Rev. gaúch. odontol. (Online) [online]. 2011, vol.59, n.1, pp. 29-34. ISSN 1981-8637.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the gingival health and oral hygiene of students from two public schools in João Pessoa, Brazil, one with a dental office in the premises (school A) and one without (school B) and correlated these conditions with the students' parents' education level and family income. METHODS: The sample consisted of 170 students. The indices used were: Gingival Bleeding Index, Visible Plaque Index and Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. The socioeconomic status was determined by per capita income. The chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and Pearson's correlation were used (p<0.05). RESULTS: The prevalence of gingivitis was 81.8%. A significant correlation (p <0.01) was found among the three indices of the students from both schools. There was no significant difference between the students of the two schools regarding the presence of a visible biofilm. Associations were found between students' gingivitis and parents' education level (p<0.05). The family income of students from schools A and B was significantly different, with 78.2% of the households of school A/B students being at or below the poverty line. CONCLUSION: The presence of a dental office in the school was not a determinant for better oral health conditions.

Keywords : Social class; Gingivitis; Periodontal index; Public health.