RIGO, Lilian; ABEGG, Claides    BASSANI, Diego Garcia. Dental caries in schoolchildren living in cities of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, with and without water fluoridation. RSBO (Online) []. 2010, 7, 1, pp. 57-65. ISSN 1984-5685.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this research was to study the prevalence and severity of dental caries, analyzing the influence of some socioeconomic factors and the fluoridation of public water supply. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was performed based on data collected through the Oral Health Epidemiological Survey of Rio Grande do Sul, which included 571 12-year-old schoolchildren from the north of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data was analyzed through binary logistic regression test. RESULTS: After data adjustment, results showed that schoolchildren living in small-sized cities had 3 times higher odds of having dental caries than the ones who live in big and medium-sized cities (OR = 2.94; IC95% = 1.86-4.64). CONCLUSION: The demographic size of the city was the main factor associated to the dental caries experience in schoolchildren from the north of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

: dental caries; oral health; epidemiology; fluoridation.