Uma proposta de controle da cárie, na dentição decídua, em município sem fluoretação de água

Abstract

Dental cavities nowadays can result from an imbalance in the process of mineral loss and mineral gain of the teeth caused by Streptococcus mutans micro-organisms and by a cavity-prone diet. However, this process can be ameliorated in both the primary and secondary dentitions by the action of fluoride. Fluoridation via public water systems is considered the most effective collective means of controlling the prevalence of cavities. Nevertheless, in Brazil there remain cities without public water fluoridation, and the inhabitants of these municipalities show high rates of tooth decay in both dentitions, and an especially high rate in the primary dentition. This study proposed a review of the literature on alternatives for control of caries in the deciduous dentition in municipalities without fluoridated water and was faced with educational measures, maternal and child health, beyond the need to adopt prevention programs that include a multidisciplinary approach to work educational and motivational for parents or guardians. The importance of access to health care in the first year of life and subsequent regular consultations, coupled with improvements in socioeconomic and cultural conditions of the population suggest that the necessary measures to control the disease.