Objective: To evaluate the oral health status of Brazilian workers of a textile industry. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study including 489 individuals of both sexes was performed. Data on gender, age, schooling, frequency of dentist visits and caries experience (DMFT) were collected by a single trained and calibrated examiner. Data were organized using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and presented through descriptive and inferential statistics (Poisson Regression Analysis). The significance level was 5%. Results: There was predominance of female workers (57.7%) aged 30-39 years (44.6%) and with 9-11 years of schooling (79.7%). Almost all of them had visited the dentist at least once in their lifetime (99.6%), and 66.8% had done so in the last 12 months. The mean DMFT value was 11.14 (± 5.64), with higher participation of filled (6.21) and missing components (4.03). There was a statistically significant association between DMFT values (≤ 11 and ≥ 12) and age group (p <0.001), as well as between schooling and number of missing (p <0.001) and decayed teeth (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The mean DMFT of Brazilian workers is high, with a tendency to increase the number of missing teeth as age increases. Schooling was associated with the number of missing and filled teeth.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and dental caries in Brazilian female adolescents with and without behavioral risk for eating disorders. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 60 girls, 15 to18 years old, randomly selected from public and private schools. Risk behavior for eating disorder was assessed by the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh, anthropometric measurements were taken to calculate the body mass index, dental examinations were performed to verify the caries experience and a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data was applied. Data were analyzed descriptively and analytically using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 18.0 software. The level of statistical significance was set at 5%, with a 95% confidence interval. Results: Most of the girls studied in public school (75,0%), had no partner (95,0%) and had a monthly family income above the minimum wage (63,3%). The prevalence of dental caries was high (86.7%). The most used practice for weight loss was the act of purge (18.3%). There was no statistically significant association between dental caries and Body Mass Index (p=0,655), however, it was observed that adolescents with high Body Mass Index had a higher risk for Eating Disorders (p<0,05). Conclusion: The nutritional status was not associated with dental caries, however the monitoring of girls with high Body Mass Indexis important due to the increased risk of eating disorders.

Objective: To analyze the risk behavior for bulimia among female adolescents from public and private high schools. Methods: A cross-sectional study with a random sample of 850 female students aged 15-18 years was carried out in a city in northeastern Brazil, using the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh (BITE) to assess the risk behavior for bulimia. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and the Pearson’s chi-square , Fisher’s exact and robust Poisson regression tests, adopting the significance level of 5%. Results: Less than half of the sample (42.0%) showed standards of dietary risk and weight control practices; in 1.4% of the sample, bulimia signs were already installed. Fear of gaining weight was reported by 62.8% of the subjects. Risk practices were lower among students from public schools; (Odds Ratio - OR - 0.82; confidence interval of 95% - 95%CI - 0.69-0.97). Among restrictive practices, fasting for a whole day was the most applied (29.9% of the students). Among individuals who were at risk situation, almost half believed to have normal eating habits (prevalence ratio - PR - 0.42; 95%CI 0.36-0.49). Individuals who consider their eating habits normal, who are afraid of gaining weight, those who seek emotional comfort in food and follow strict diets had higher risk for bulimia (p<0.05). Conclusions: The number of female adolescent students with risk behavior practices for bulimia is high, and the frequency of those unaware of this situation is also very high. Risk situations emerge as a collective health problem, and individuals from private schools were more likely to be in this situation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is an association between risk behavior for eating disorders (EDs) and dental erosion and caries. A controlled cross-sectional study was conducted in Brazil, involving 850 randomly selected female adolescents. After evaluating risk behavior for eating disorders through the Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh, 12 adolescents were identified with severe risk behavior for EDs and matched to 48 adolescents without such risk. Dental examinations, anthropometric measurements, and eating habits and oral hygiene were performed. Adolescents with high severity eating disorder condition were not more likely to show dental caries (p = 0.329; OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 0.35–13.72) or dental erosion (p = 0.590; OR = 2.33; 95% CI: 0.56–9.70). Adolescents with high body mass index (BMI) were five times more likely to have high severity eating disorder condition (p = 0.031; OR = 5.1; 95% CI: 1.61–23.07). Therefore, high severity risk behavior for EDs was not significantly associated with dental caries and dental erosion. However, high BMI was a risk factor for developing eating disorders and should be an alert for individuals with this condition.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dental fear and to evaluate its association with dental caries and molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) in schoolchildren aged 8-10 years from a municipality in Northeastern Brazil. Data from 466 students enrolled in urban public schools in a cross-sectional study were collected. Parents/guardians answered a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics, dental fear was measured by means of the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and clinical examinations were performed by three calibrated examiners for diagnosis of dental caries, using the International Caries Detection & Assessment System - ICDAS II and a previously validated index for MIH. Descriptive data analysis was performed, and associations between dental fear, dental caries and MIH were analyzed using robust Poisson regression for complex samples (p<0,05). The prevalence of dental fear was 21.6%, and the mean total CFSS-DS score was 29.97 (CI 95%=29.05-30.89). In the multivariate adjusted model, the prevalence of dental fear was associated to family income (PR=1.78; CI 95%=1.02-3.08; p= 0.041). Monthly family income was associated with dental fear in children, whereas dental caries and MIH were not associated with dental fear.

To estimate the prevalence of dental fear in schoolchildren and verify its association with gender, age group and oral health habits. Cross-sectional study with 44 elementary students from public schools. Data on sociodemographic issues and children's oral health habits were collected and the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) questionnaire was applied. Descriptive analysis of the data was performed, Fisher's Exact and U Mann-Whitney tests (p <0.05). The prevalence of dental fear was 6.8% and the average of the total score of the CFSS-DS was 26.43 ± 7.20, median of 24.50, IQR25-75 21-33, minimum score of 16 and a maximum of 42. Most children had a low level of dental fear (95.5%). The levels of dental fear did not show statistically significant associations between sex (p = 0.162), age group (p = 0.181), having visited the dentist once in life (p = 0.201), complaints of tooth pain (p = 0.522) and complaints of tooth sensitivity (p = 0.181). The prevalence of dental fear was low and most children had a low level of dental fear. There was no association between dental fear and the variables sex, age, having visited the dentist at any time in life, complaints of pain and complaints of dental sensitivity.

Objective: To evaluate the oral hygiene level and periodontal condition of adolescents aged 15-19 years and socioeconomic factors. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 630 adolescents from public schools randomly selected in the city of Campina Grande, Brazil. For data collection, a form containing socioeconomic variables and those related to oral hygiene was used. The oral hygiene level was measured through the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and periodontal condition was evaluated by the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Data were descriptively and inferentially analyzed using the chi-square test, adopting significance level of 5%. Results: Adolescents were mostly females (59.5%), aged 16 years (32.4%), non-white (77.8%), with family income lower than US $ 612.00 (55.1%), with parental schooling of up to high school (50%). Periodontal condition showed no significant association with any of the socioeconomic factors (p> 0.05). All participants reported using toothbrush; however, the control of interproximal plaque with flossing was reported by only 44.1%, being higher among females (p = 0.028), and its use has been associated with periodontal status (p = 0.026). The oral hygiene level was satisfactory for 59.7% of adolescents, while CPI showed that only 1.6% of them had healthy periodontium and gingival bleeding (34.4%) and presence of dental calculus (37, 8%) were the most prevalent alterations. Conclusion: Adolescents showed satisfactory oral hygiene condition; however, there was a high prevalence of gingival bleeding and dental calculus. Periodontal condition was associated with flossing; however, association with socioeconomic factors was not observed.

Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects of complex etiology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of cleft lip and palate in Brazilian children. An ecological and descriptive study, based on data from the Live Birth Information System (SINASC / DATASUS) between years 2011 and 2015 in the cities of João Pessoa, Campina Grande, Patos, Cajazeiras, and Sousa (State of Paraíba) was developed. Information on the presence of congenital anomalies and cleft lip and palate, gender of neonate, birth-weight (<2.5kg and ≥2.5kg) and mother's age were collected. Data were tabulated with Microsoft Excel software and presented through descriptive statistics (absolute and percentage distributions). In the study period, there were 206367 cases of live birth, with 1916 cases of children with congenital anomalies of which 109 (5.7%) had cleft lip and palate, predominantly males (66%). Regarding birth-weight, 27.5% had <2.5kg. The majority of mothers aged 20-29 years (45.9%). The city of Campina Grande concentrated the highest number of cases (50.5%), with prevalence of 7.36 cases per ten thousand live births. The frequency of cleft lip and palate was 5.2 per 10000 live births. Male children with normal birth-weight are the most affected by cleft lip and palate.