REGULAR USE OF DENTAL SERVICES BETWEEN STUDENTS IN A FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF THE SOUTH OF BRAZIL
Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence and factors associated with the regular use of dental services in academics from the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel). Methods: This cross-sectional study interviewed 1865 students aged 18 years or older, entrants in 2017/1 enrolled in the second semester of 2017 and first semester of 2018 in classroom courses at UFPel. A regular user was considered the individuals who reported going to the dentist regularly with or without perceived dental problems. Demographic, socioeconomic and oral health variables were collected to test factors associated with the regular use of dental services. Statistical analyses were based on Poisson regression models. Results: The prevalence of regular use of 45.0% (95%CI 42,7-47,3). The students with a high social class (p = 0.025), that the site of the last dental appointment was private (p = 0.027), who self-perceived their oral health positively (p <0.001) and did not report toothache in the last 6 months (p = 0.023) showed higher prevalence of regular use of dental services. Conclusions: The results point to inequalities in the regular use of dental services related to socioeconomic factors and lower use among university students with worse oral health conditions.These results suggest that public health prevention and promotion policies in higher education institutions should be carried out to guarantee quality of life among these young people.