Impact of the Bitewing Radiography Exam Inclusion on the Prevalence of Dental Caries in 12-year-old Students in the City of Franca, São Paulo, Brazil

INTRODUCTION The pattern of development of carious lesions has changed. The carious lesion has been progressive and reaches the dentin without showing alterations in the clinical aspects. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of caries in 12-year-old students in the city of Franca - São Paulo, Brazil, during the year of 2003, and to evaluate the additional value of bitewing radiograph to detect hidden carious lesions in permanent molar dentin. MATERIALS AND METHODS A probabilistic sample composed of two hundred and fifty six (256) students, from public and private schools, was submitted to a cross-sectional study through examination by a calibrated examiner, in order to detect the caries prevalence, using the methodology recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). For 66% of the sample, bitewing radiographs of the permanent molar region were obtained. The images were analyzed by a calibrated examiner, who established the presence of hidden caries in teeth with radiolucency in dentin, yet considered healthy in the epidemiological survey. RESULTS The prevalence of dental caries in epidemiological exam without (WHO) and with (WHO/R) the inclusion of hidden caries lesion was 54% and 64%, and the DMFT index was 1.73 and 1.92 respectively. CONCLUSION Utilization of the method of bitewing radiographic diagnosis significantly increased (p<0.001) the prevalence of caries in the studied population.