Tooth loss continues to be a prevalent condition in Brazilian adults and elderly individuals. The aim of this cross-sectional study, conducted among workers in a wholesale grocery chain in the State of São Paulo, was to identify risk indicators for tooth loss in adults. The presence of caries and periodontal status were examined in 387 adults aged 20-64 years, according to World Health Organization criteria. Two outcomes were analyzed: loss of one or more teeth, and loss of four or more teeth. Independent variables analyzed were demographic and socioeconomic factors, clinical conditions, use of dental services, and selfperceived oral health. Poisson regression models were used for multivariate statistical analysis. Participants were missing a mean of 5.38 teeth, and 76.9% (n = 297) had lost at least one tooth; the most frequently lost teeth were permanent molars. Older age and the presence of visible dental biofilm were associated significantly with the two tooth loss outcomes (p < 0.05). Individuals who had visited the dentist 3 or more years previously showed a lower prevalence of tooth loss (prevalence ratio = 0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.68-0.91). Those with lower household incomes were significantly more likely to have lost four or more teeth (prevalence ratio = 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.70). Study results indicated that age and dental biofilm were risk indicators for tooth loss, independently of socioeconomic factors. These risk indicators should be considered when planning oral health programs for adults.

This study evaluated dental caries according to the presence of natural teeth and sociodemographic conditions of an elderly population in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Examinations were performed according to the World Health Organization's guidelines. The sample of 1,192 elderly individuals aged 65 to 74 years was stratified according to the presence of teeth and the following variables: gender, race, age, city size and Human Development Index (HDI). The Mann Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were applied at a confidence level of 95% for analysis of results. In the total sample, 68.9% (n=822) were edentulous; the mean of present teeth was 3.5 and the DMFT was 30.2, being 28.5 of missing teeth. Among dentate individuals (n=370), the mean of present teeth was 11.3, the DMFT was 26.2 and the missing component accounted for 20.7 teeth. The differences observed in the evaluated conditions should be highlighted: the mean number of present teeth was higher among younger individuals (from 65 to 69 years) [12.1] and among those living in cities with high HDI [12.9]; the DMFT was lower among men [24.9] and non-Caucasians [25.1]. Based on these findings, it may be concluded that specific dental programs should be established, with emphasis on oral health promotion and dental caries control, as well as public health policies that may enhance the access to the services provided.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to verify the association between the number of teeth present with socio-demographic and economic variables and with the access to dental services and self-perception of oral health among the elderly. Materials and Methods: The sample was composed of individuals from 65 to 74 years of age, which was representative of the state of São Paulo (n = 781). In this study, the analysis of data considered dentate elderly only, who were divided into two groups: those with one to 19 teeth and those with 20 teeth or more. The chi-squared test was used in the bivariate analysis and the logistic regression was also performed (p < 0.05). Results: Among the 313 dentate elderly, 235 (75.1%) presented one to 19 teeth. The average number of teeth was 9.5 for the elderly with fewer teeth and 25 for those with more teeth. In the bivariate analysis, all variables related to the access to dental services were associated and the chances of having less teeth was among elderly who did not visit the dentist for a long time and among those who sought public dental services and did not receive information on how to avoid oral problems. In addition, the elderly who classified their speech as not good were those who presented with fewer teeth. Conclusion: Most subjects presented one to 19 teeth and this fact was directly associated, among others factors, to the unsatisfactory perception that they reported in relation to their speech and to the too long period without visiting the dentist.

This study aimed to investigate root caries prevalence in areas with and without water fluoridation at the Southeast region of São Paulo State, in the adult population, employees of public and private schools, and elderly population. Epidemiological surveys were conducted according to the World Health Organization guidelines (1997), including 1,475 dentate individuals aged 35 to 44 years and 65 to 74 years, living in cities representing the southeast of São Paulo State, with (n=872) or without (n=603) fluoridated water supply. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney and Chi-square tests at a significance level of 5%. The prevalence of root caries was 15.6% for the 35-44-year-old age group and 31.8% for the 65-74-year-old age group. There were no statistically significant differences (p>0.05) in the occurrence of root caries according to water fluoridation, although individuals living at non-fluoridated areas presented higher percentage of missing teeth; also, there was higher mean number of intact roots at fluoridated areas (p<0.05). Most individuals with gingival recession, both adults and elderly, did not have root caries experience. In this study, root caries prevalence was lower in areas with fluoridated water. Due to the reduced prevalence of edentulism and increased number of people keeping their natural teeth for a longer period, a future increase in root caries is expected, highlighting the importance of studies related to water fluoridation and its relationship with the oral health of adults and elderly, especially referring to tooth root.

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