Dental care utilization among children in Brazil: an exploratory study based on data from national household surveys

Abstract

Wide availability of access to dental services can be considered a predictor of better oral health outcomes in a population. This article aims to compare data from the Brazilian National Household Sample Surveys (PNAD) on dental services utilization among children aged 4 to 12 years. This cross-sectional study was carried out using data from the 1998, 2003, and 2008 National Household Sample Surveys, involving a total of 61.438, 64.659 and 59.561 children, respectively. Ninety-nine percent confidence intervals were considered for the prevalence of each outcome of interest. In 1998, 60.8% (99%CI: 59.4;62.1) of children had been to a dentist; this prevalence was 65.5% (99%CI: 64.4;66.7) in 2003 and 73.8% (99%CI: 72.1;74.2) in 2008. In 1998, 41.2% (99%CI: 39.1;43.3) of children in the lowest household income quartile had been to a dentist; this value was 61.4% (99%CI: 59.5;63.2) in 2008. Among children from families whose head of household had 4 years of formal education or fewer, 49.5% and 63% had been to a dentist in 1998 and 2008, respectively. The lifetime prevalence of dentist attendance among Brazilian children increased between 1998 and 2008, especially among those from low-income families and those whose head of household had a low educational level.

Utilization of dental services and associated factors among preschool children in China

“…Our results confirmed that family income demonstrated a positive relationship with dental health service utilization. The susceptibility to caries and dental pain is socio-economically and geographically unequal [27]. Children who are disadvantaged by poverty have an increased burden of disease but attend few dental visits [28].…”

Oral health literacy, sociodemographic, family, and clinical predictors of dental visits among Brazilian early adolescents

“…The National Oral Health Policy implanted in Brazil in 2003 broadened access to free dental services (preventive and restorative care) through the public healthcare system, which may suggest a lower frequency of individuals who had never been to a dentist in comparison with other countries. The increase in the provision and coverage of public dental services in Brazil began with the inclusion of dental teams in the Family Health Strategy, offering free dental services and oral health education in the public healthcare system despite persistent oral health disparities 25 . A population‐based study involving Brazilian adolescents demonstrated that a higher family income and coverage by the Family Health Strategy were predictors of dental visits.…”

Geographical and socioeconomic inequalities in dental attendance among children in Peru: Findings from the Demographic and Family Health Survey 2017

“…7 Few studies have analysed inequalities in the use of dental services in middle-and low-income countries. 8 In Latin America, most studies have been concentrated in Brazil, [9][10][11] Chile, 12,13 Argentina 14 and Mexico. 15,16 The Peruvian health system has a complex organization consisting of a fragmented public system and a private sector containing both for-profit and not-for-profit institutions.…”