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Dental caries, periodontal disease and restorative dental care among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous groups in Brazil: A descriptive study
Author(s) -
Arantes Rui,
Jamieson Lisa M.,
Frazão Paulo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/cdoe.12577
Subject(s) - medicine , indigenous , ethnic group , dentistry , oral hygiene , population , demography , oral health , dental care , environmental health , ecology , sociology , anthropology , biology
Objective To compare patterns of dental caries, periodontal disease and dental care among Indigenous and non‐Indigenous Central‐West Brazilian subpopulations. Methods Data were from two population‐based cross‐sectional studies involving 5‐, 12‐, 15‐19‐ and 35‐44‐year‐olds. The first examined were the Guarani, Kaiowá, Terena and Kadiwéu Indigenous groups from Mato Grosso do Sul Brazilian state and the second comprised a non‐Indigenous population. Mean numbers of sound teeth, decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT), prevalence of poor oral hygiene for adults (35‐44 years) and of periodontal disease were estimated. Restorative dental service utilization was measured using the Care Index. Results The study populations comprised of 1830 Indigenous and 29 395 non‐Indigenous people. The Kaiwoá ethnic group had the lowest DMFT among Indigenous groups for ages 12, 15‐19 years; 0.9 (95% CI 0.7‐1.1) and 2.4 (95% CI 1.9‐2.9), respectively. The highest values were observed among the 12‐year‐old Terena ethnic group and 15‐ to 19‐year‐old Kadiwéo groups; 2.2 (95% CI 1.8‐2.5) and 3.7 (95% CI 3.1‐4.4), respectively. The mean DMFT values were significantly lower among Indigenous than non‐Indigenous people for all age groups. The prevalence of bleeding and calculus was 70.3% (95% CI 64.5%‐75.5%) and 80.1% (95% CI 74.8%‐84.5%), respectively, for Indigenous people and 43.9% (95% CI 34.4%‐50.7%) and 61.5% (95% CI 55.4%‐67.2%), respectively, for the non‐Indigenous population. Restorative services were higher among 5‐year‐old non‐Indigenous children and adults than for Indigenous groups. Among Indigenous groups, the Terena had the highest level of restored teeth (38.0% at 12 years) and Kadiwéu the lowest level (8.8% at 12 years). Conclusion In our study, Indigenous people had a lower caries burden, but less access to restorative services than their non‐Indigenous counterparts. These disparities likely reflect differences in historical, socioeconomic, cultural, environmental and political determinants that both groups have experienced differently over time.