OBJECTIVE:
to describe the use of public dental services and to assess deft/DMFT indexes in the city of Arroio do Padre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
METHODS:
this was a cross-sectional study of all children aged 5 and 12 living in the city in 2013 (N=50); the children underwent oral health exams and the adults responsible for them answered questionnaires.
RESULTS:
mean deft and DMFT were 3.9 and 1.3. In deciduous teeth (deft) there was predominance of the decay component (82%) while in the permanent dentition (DMFT) the filled component was predominant (65%); 19 children students had decayed teeth at the time of the examination and 13 of these had had a dental visit at the Basic Health Unit.
CONCLUSION:
most children presented caries history, which may be attributed in part to low exposure to fluoride, low parental education and little appreciation of deciduous teeth.
Dental Caries; DMF index; Oral Health; Dental Health Surveys; Epidemiology, Descriptive
