Dental caries and dental fluorosis in 7-12-year-old schoolchildren in Catalão, Goiás, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION Over the last two decades, the prevalence of dental caries in children has decreased and the prevalence of dental fluorosis has increased. Knowledge on the epidemiologic conditions of a population is fundamental for the planning of health programs. OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of dental caries and dental fluorosis among schoolchildren, in Catalão, Goiás, Brazil. METHODS A random sample of 432 schoolchildren aged 7-12-years old was obtained. WHO (1997) criteria for dental caries and fluorosis diagnosis were used. RESULTS The DMFT indexes were 0.97; 1.20; 1.80; 1.62; 2.40 and 2.51 for 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 years old, respectively. Analysis of dental fluorosis for the same ages presented higher prevalence at 12 years old and for the female gender. The percentage of questionable dental fluorosis (Dean's classification) was 34.0%. Only 3% of the sample presented dental fluorosis with scores very mild, mild and moderate. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of caries in schoolchildren of Catalão, Goiás, Brazil, was low. In average, private schools showed better results than public schools; however, all schools presented a low DMFT index. In this study, dental fluorosis is not a public health problem and has not damaged dental esthetics.