[The prevalence of dental caries and necessary treatment in six to twelve year old schoolchildren in Goiânia, GO, Brazil, 1994]. / Prevalência de cárie e necessidades de tratamento em escolares de seis a doze anos de idade, Goiânia, GO, Brasil, 1994.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of dental caries and needs of treatment among schoolchildren in Goiânia-GO, middle-west of Brazil was assessed. METHODOLOGY: The study population consisted of 6-12-yr-old schoolchildren (n = 1,400) attending public schools located in the urban area of the city, where the water-supply had been fluoridated for 9 years. RESULTS: Mean dmf-t and DMF-T for the total sample were 2.19 and 2.86, respectively, showing a reduction of 57.1% in the DMF-T as compared to the regional data from the national survey carried out in 1986. At age 12 DMF-T was 4.59, which is above the acceptable level according to the FDI/WHO goal for the year 2000. Percentage of caries-free schoolchildren was very low at all ages (11% of the total sample). The most significant need was for restorative treatment in the treatment deciduous dentition at all ages and in the permanent dentition from age 9. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the prevalence of dental caries among schoolchildren in Goiânia-GO is high, comparable to the situation in most Latin American countries and poor regions of developed countries. The results indicate the need for oral health education and preventive programs targeted at the underlying causes of the disease, in the population.

Dental caries prevalence in relation to socioeconomic status of nursery school children in Goiânia-GO, Brazil.

The study was carried out to assess dental caries in the primary dentition of pre-school children in Goiânia-GO, Brazil, and to assess the influence of socio-economic status. The study population comprised 0-6-yr-old pre-school children (n = 2267) attending public (low SES children) and private (higher SES children) nursery schools. Mean dmft and percent caries-free were 0.09 (96.4%) at 1 year and younger, 0.40 (87.3%) at 2, 1.14 (69.9%) at 3, 2.18 (49.5%) at 4, 3.18 (36.1%) at 5, and 3.94 (29.4%) at age 6 years respectively. Caries prevalence was higher in those attending public nursery school than in those attending private schools (P < 0.05). Amongst children from public nursery schools the highest dmf component was untreated decay while in private nurseries it was filled teeth. The results indicate that social inequalities exist, which influence dental caries experience. It was concluded that oral health programmes for pre-school children emphasizing preventive measures and dental health education should be developed mainly in areas of social deprivation.

[An analysis of the recommendations on sugar consumption p between 1961 and 1991]. / Análise das recomendações internacionais sobre o consumo de açúcares publicadas entre 1961 e 1991.

It is study made an analysis of national expert reports on dietary guidelines published all over the world in the 30-year period between 1961 and 1991. The aim is to identify what the reports recommend about the consumption of sugars and their relation to chronic diseases, and also what advice should be given to the public and appropriate authorities regarding levels of sugars in the diet. Information was gathered from 115 reports published by experts committees in 36 different countries and regions of the world, including developed and developing countries. The results showed that the great majority (84.5%) of the reports analysed make recommendations on the extrinsic consumption of sugar and that there is an agreement that these sugars, especially sucrose, must be reduced in the diet. The commonest level proposed is that 10% of total calorie intake from extrinsic sugars should be considered the maximum level. Such advice is often addressed to the general population and it is offered with a view to the maintenance of general health and especially to the prevention dental caries and obesity. It was concluded that advice on the intake of sugars given by dietary guidelines in the last three decades is coherent with the existing scientific evidence on the relationship between sugars and human diseases and, therefore, they should be integrated into national food and health policies.