Socioeconomic trajectories from childhood to adolescence and dental caries

Few studies have investigated the effect of socioeconomic position at different stages of life on oral health outcomes. Objective: To investigate the role of family socioeconomic trajectories from childhood to adolescence on dental caries and associated behavioural factors. Methods: A population-based birth cohort was carried out in Pelotas, Brazil. A sample (n=888) of the population of subjects born in 1982 were dentally examined and interviewed at aged 15. Dental caries index, care index, toothbrushing, flossing, and pattern of utilization of dental services were the outcomes. These measures were compared among four different family income trajectories. Results: Adolescents who were always poor showed, in general, a worse dental caries profile, whilst adolescents who never were poor had a better dental caries profile. Adolescents who had moved from poverty in childhood to non-poverty in adolescence and those who had moved from non-poverty in childhood to poverty in adolescence had similar dental profiles to those who were always poor except for pattern of utilization of dental services which was higher in the first group. Conclusion: Poverty in at least one stage of the lifespan has a harmful effect on dental caries, oral behaviours and utilization of dental services. Marco Aurélio Peres was supported by a research grant from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Grant N. 382889/2004.3. This analysis was supported by the Wellcome Trusts initiative entitled Major Awards for Latin America on Health Consequences of Population Change.