Objective: To evaluate the association between gingival health conditions and dental service utilization.
Methods: An epidemiological survey of the oral health of 1,799 adolescents was carried out in 35 cities of the state of São Paulo, in 2002. Gingival health was assessed through the prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing and dental calculus (community periodontal index), and dental occlusion was assessed through the dental aesthetic index. The utilization of dental services was measured by means of the dental care index (F/DMFT) for each city. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to adjust explanatory models to factors associated with the outcome variables of interest.
Results: The prevalence of gingival bleeding on probing was 21.5%, whereas dental calculus was prevalent in 19.4%. Male participants, who were either black or dark-skinned, lived in crowded homes, in rural areas, and showed schooling delay, were at a significantly higher risk than their respective counterparts. The following dental occlusion characteristics were also associated with unhealthy gum: incisor segment crowding, vertical anterior open bite, and antero-posterior molar relationship. Cities with a higher utilization of dental services showed a smaller proportion of adolescents with gingival bleeding and dental calculus.
Conclusions: The utilization of dental services was significantly associated with better gingival health conditions (gingival bleeding and dental calculus). This association did not depend on contextual and individual sociodemographic characteristics or dental occlusion.