ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD IN THE CITY OF PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL

Objectives: The goal was to assess the access and factors connected to dental visits in children up to age five in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in 10 Basic Health Units through a questionnaire and clinical examination on 560 children. Clinical (visible plaque, gingival bleeding and defs), socio-demographic, and visit access variables were assessed. Poisson Regression was used to calculate the Prevalence Ratios (PR), with a 95% confidence interval.
Results: Results showed that 68.2% of children had never gone to a dentist. The main reason reported for not visiting a dentist was not feeling the need (48.7%) and difficult access to a health clinic (15.8%). The purpose of going to the dentist was for prevention/revision (55.8%), and the most sought-after places for visits were the private office (43.9%) and health clinic (39.5%). The final multivariate model showed that age of the child (95%) CI, (PR = 1.03 (1.02-1.05)), household income (PR = 1.05; (1.01-1.08)), and the mother having completed high school (PR=1.69 (1.15-2.56)) were associated with seeking dental consultation.
Conclusions: Thus, it is crucial to recognize the importance of the family setting during the first years of life.