Prevalence of caries and dental care status of schoolchildren from urban and rural areas in Araraquara, SP, Brazil.

The research reported was carried out to assess the prevalence of caries and dental care status in schoolchildren from urban and rural areas in Araraquara, SP, Brazil. Schoolchildren from an urban area (1,472) and from a rural area (355), aged 7-12 years were examined by two examiners previously trained using the DMFT index. The results showed that the DMFT index was similar in both areas. At 12 years-of-age, the DMFT was 3.8 in urban schoolchildren and 4.0 in rural schoolchildren, considered moderate according to WHO classification. The dental care status was different in the urban and rural areas. In the urban area, 82.9 per cent of the decayed teeth were filled and in the rural area, only 22.1 per cent. The moderate prevalence of dental caries and the high proportion of filled teeth in the urban area suggest that the implementation of primary prevention programmes is necessary, in both, urban and rural populations.