Dental caries has multifactor origins and socioeconomic conditions are part of this context. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of caries and investigate its association with socioeconomic variables among young male conscripts aged 17 to 19 years in Manaus, Amazonas. This was a cross-sectional study using a convenience sample of conscripts of the Brazilian armed forces. Diagnostic criteria and the socioeconomic questionnaire were based on the SB Brazil national survey and WHO criteria. A single examiner (kappa = 0.96) performed oral examinations on 578 conscripts. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to verify normal distribution, and for non-normally distributed data (p = 0.0001), the nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare means. Any significant differences in the DMFT index and its components, relative to the variables evaluated, were investigated. The prevalence of caries was 88.8% and the mean DMFT index was 5.16 ± 0.17. Statistically significant differences were found in the means for decayed, missing and filled components of the DMFT index. Worse indicators were found in groups with lower schooling, lower income, and from public schools, thus demonstrating the need to improve prevention and care for these groups.
Dental caries; DMFT index; Socioeconomic conditions; Adolescence; Epidemiology
