INTRODUCTION: The association between sugar availability and dental caries, using population data, was not tested in the Brazilian population yet. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between dental caries experience in children and household sugar availability in Brazil in 2003. It was also aimed to test the possible influence of socioeconomic indicators and presence of fluoridated water supply. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This ecological study analyzed data of the 27 Brazilian capital cities on caries experience of 5 and 12 years-old children and water fluoridation obtained from the National Survey of Oral Health in 2003; sugar availability from the Household Budget Survey in 2003; and socioeconomic indicators from the United Nations Development Programme in 2000. Correlation tests, simple and multiple linear regression were used in the statistical analysis. RESULT: There was no association between caries experience in the 5 years-old and the independent variables. At the age 12, lower caries experience was correlated with higher acquisition of soft drinks, public water fluoridation, Human Development Index and per capita income. Results of the multiple linear regression, adjusted by time of water fluoridation showed that this variable explained the lower levels of caries. After adjusting for the other factors, none of the variables were significantly associated to dental caries. CONCLUSION: There was no association between dental caries in children and sugar availability in the Brazilian capital cities in 2003 when socioeconomic indicators and presence of fluoridated water were considered in the analysis.
Epidemiology; dental caries; social inequity; diet; fluorides