An important decline in DMFT was observed between 1980 and 2003, perhaps as a result of increased access to fluoridated water and toothpaste and of changes in the goals of public oral health programs. Despite the improvement, caries is unevenly distributed in the pediatric population; a small proportion of individuals carries most of the disease burden. In addition, the proportion of teeth with caries that went untreated did not change between 1980 and 2003. Reducing socioeconomic disparities and adopting public health measures that target and reach the most vulnerable groups remain a challenge for policy makers in Brazil.

The heterogeneous distribution of caries indexes by areas of the city indicates higher levels of dental decay in areas of social deprivation. The delimitation of areas with increased risk of caries and greater dental treatment needs should be helpful to public health services for the formulation of policies and the targeting of resources to address these problems.

ResumoA colaboração interprofissional vem sendo apontada como um recurso para o enfrentamento dos problemas do modelo de atenção e da força de trabalho. O objetivo do estudo foi captar a percepção de profissionais que atuam na atenção primária à saúde sobre o trabalho compartilhado e a colaboração interprofissional. Uma pesquisa qualitativa foi conduzida no município de São Paulo, mediante a realização de entrevistas em profundidade com profissionais de distintas categorias que atuam na Estratégia Saúde da Família e no Núcleo de Apoio à Saúde da Família. Os resultados permitiram evidenciar as categorias: ‘interação profissional’ e ‘metas de produção’. As formas de interação, o papel do apoio especializado matricial e o modo como as metas de produção são percebidas apontaram para tensões entre a lógica profissional tradicional e a da colaboração; e entre um modelo centrado em procedimentos especializados e outro mais colaborativo, focado nas necessidades de saúde das famílias e da comunidade. O compartilhamento de responsabilidades e práticas, a alteração da lógica dos encaminhamentos e a insuficiência de dispositivos organizacionais permanecem como importantes desafios para a inserção da colaboração interprofissional no desenvolvimento de novas práticas de produção do cuidado.

To describe the distribution of dental trauma in Brazilian schoolchildren and its association with demographic, environmental and clinical factors. A random sample of 73 243 schoolchildren's oral examination records from private and public units, selected from 131 cities within the state of São Paulo, Brazil, was analysed. Trauma was assessed based on international methodological standards prescribed by the World Health Organization for Oral Health Surveys (1997). Proportions obtained were compared between urban and rural schools, as well as between private and public units. Oral health status indices were estimated based on the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index - the average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth; the proportion of caries-free 5-year-old schoolchildren and anterior maxillary overjet among 12-year-old schoolchildren. The prevalence of dental trauma in anterior dentition was of 2.4, enrolling average 1.2 teeth per child. A rate of 2.4 impaired anterior teeth per thousand was obtained, upper central incisors being those that were most affected - 7.7 in every 10. Among 8- to 11-year-old children, the rates grew regularly. The proportion of dental trauma was significantly higher in boys than in girls (P < 0.01), and gender prevalence ratio was of 1.58 for boys. The results showed positive associations between dental trauma and caries-free 5-year-old schoolchildren (P = 0.003), anterior maxillary overjet > or =3 mm (P < 0.001), and private school as a socio-economic proxy indicator (P = 0.048).

This paper aimed to analyze the fl uoride concentration in drinking water, taking into account the balance between the benefi ts and risks to health, in order to produce scientifi c backing for the updating of the Brazilian legislation. Systematic reviews studies, offi cial documents and meteorological data were examined. The temperatures in Brazilian state capitals indicate that fl uoride levels should be between 0.6 and 0.9 mg F/l in order to prevent dental caries. Natural fl uoride concentration of 1.5 mg F/l is tolerated for consumption in Brazil if there is no technology with an acceptable cost-benefi t ratio for adjusting/removing the excess. Daily intake of water with a fl uoride concentration > 0.9 mg F/l presents a risk to the dentition among children under the age of eight years, and consumers should be explicitly informed of this risk. In view of the expansion of the Brazilian water fl uoridation program to regions with a typically tropical climate, Ordinance 635/75 relating to fl uoride added to the public water supply should be revised.

OBJETIVO: Estudar a evolução da prevalência de cárie em dentes permanentes da população infantil do Município de São Paulo, SP, no período 1970-1996, com base em levantamento epidemiológico em escolares das redes pública e privada de ensino. MÉTODOS: Utilizando metodologia recomendada pela Organização Mundial da Saúde, foram examinados 2.491 escolares de 103 unidades das redes de ensino público e privado. Foi obtida amostra probabilística, com base no cadastro das escolas do município. Os elementos amostrais foram identificados ao acaso. RESULTADOS: Observou-se que de uma situação de prevalência "muito alta" de cárie dentária nos anos 60 e 70, a população de referência evoluiu positivamente, na idade-índice de 12 anos, para um quadro de "baixa" prevalência. CONCLUSÃO: Entre 1986 e 1996 o declínio na cárie dentária, aos 12 anos de idade, foi da ordem de 68,2% entre escolares do Município de São Paulo.

No abstract

Our results indicate that town-level indices of socioeconomic status are significantly correlated with caries indices. Our results also emphasize the beneficial effect that fluoridating water has on reducing the prevalence of dental caries and the fact that strategies for treating and preventing oral diseases should be emphasized within the context of overall health promotion for children.