Purpose: The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and severity of dental caries among 18-year-old Brazilian males and to test the associations between dental caries and socioeconomic conditions.
Methods: It was carried out a cross-sectional study among 18-year-old male conscripts of the Brazilian Army in Blumenau, Southern Brazil. The main outcomes measured were the occurrence of dental caries (decayed, missing and filled teeth [DMFT] > or = 1) and high dental caries (DMFT > or = 8). Socioeconomic variables were collected by interviews. Simple and multiple regression analysis were performed.
Results: The mean DMFT was 5.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.3-6.1), the proportion of caries-free subjects was 11.4% (95% CI 8.5-14.3) and the proportion of subjects with all 28 natural teeth was 67.2% (95% CI 63.0-71.4). In the multiple regression analysis, mothers' educational level remained associated with dental caries after being controlled by conscripts' schooling. It was observed that the lower the mothers' and the conscripts' schooling, the stronger the risk of the conscripts to show a high dental caries status.
Conclusion: A gap between socioeconomic groups was observed. Subjects from families with low educational level presented poorer dental health. Mothers' schooling could be a good predictor for dental caries in young adults.