OBJECTIVES: to determine dental caries prevalence and severity of schoolchildren 12 and 15 years old in Salvador, in different health districts. METHODS: a transversal study with multiple stage raffled probabilistic sample, pre-stratified by the 12 health districts. With a team of previously calibrated examiners, 3313 students were examined (DMFT). Data on access and coverage of healthcare services were obtained from a questionnaire. In the analysis we used: Chi-square test, Student t test, bivariate analysis, and non-conditional logistic regression, using a significance level of 5% for all statistical testing. RESULTS: 49.6% of the sample had had access to dental care during the previous year. Almost 40% of 12 year old students and 27.7% of the 15 year old students reported participation in collective programs in the last two years. A DMFT of 1.44 was determined and 49% of 12 year old caries-free children and an index of 2.66 for the 15 year old students. The districts with lower caries prevalence were Pau da Lima, Cajazeiras and Subúrbio Ferroviário. CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of dental caries is low among schoolchildren in different districts, although variations have been determined in the dental caries distribution of different geographical areas.
Dental caries; DMF index; Health surveys; Adolescent
