Abstract
Caries Assessment Spectrum and Treatment (CAST) is an instrument developed for caries detection to be used in epidemiological surveys; it has been validated and is believed to provide a clearer picture of the oral health status than the criteria provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). This article aims to compare the epidemiological survey results using the CAST instrument and the WHO criteria in the same population. 680 schoolchildren aged 6-8 years from Federal District, Brazil, were evaluated by two examiners trained to use the CAST. The visible plaque index (VPI) and gingival bleeding index (GBI) were also evaluated. The maximum CAST codes per tooth were converted into the dmf/DMF, the mean scores for primary and permanent dentition were calculated. The mean age was 7.45(± 0.91) years. The prevalence of caries differed when CAST and the WHO criteria were applied. In the primary dentition, it was 65.44% and 61.61%, and for the permanent dentition, 38.19% and 10.2%, respectively. It was possible to calculate the mean dmft [2.4(± 2.7)] and the DMFT [0.16(± 0.53)] using CAST. VPI was associated with higher maximum CAST scores p < 0,005. The way CAST results are presented showed a higher sensibility to identify the presence and severity of carious lesions in comparison to the WHO criteria.
Key words
Dental caries; CAST; Caries epidemiology
