Resumo

ULHOA NETTO, Edilene; FERREIRA, Tales Francisco Leonhardt; DRUMMOND, Marisa Maia  e  SANCHEZ, Heriberto Fiúza. Tooth loss and need of denture in Pataxó Natives. RGO, Rev. gaúch. odontol. (Online) [online]. 2012, vol.60, n.2, pp. 195-201. ISSN 1981-8637.

Objective This study determined the prevalence of missing teeth and need of denture in Pataxó Natives from the city of Carmésia, Mina Gerais, Brazil. Methods A descriptive study was done in 2006 using secondary data collected by a team of interns attending the rural internship program available during the ninth semester of a school of dentistry. The entire population older than 14 years was examined according to the World Health Organization criteria, totaling 152 individuals from three villages. The data were analyzed by the SPSS 15.0 software, tabulated and expressed as means and percentages according to age group. Results Tooth loss in the sample began between 15 and 19 years of age and increased over time, reaching a mean of 18.71±13.19 missing teeth per individual in the 65-74-year age group. The mean number of missing teeth for the entire population was 5.51±8.47 teeth per individual. Most individuals aged 35-44 years needed a partial denture in the upper (73.07%) and lower (76.92%) arches. Some individuals in this same age group also needed full dentures in the upper (11.53%) and lower (7.69%) arches. Conclusion The study community suffers from early tooth loss and edentulism. Tooth loss and need of denture are higher among the Pataxó Natives than among the general Brazilian population.

Palavras-chave : Health of indigenous peoples.; Oral health.; Tooth loss..