Distribuição da experiência de cárie e do acesso à água canalizada segundo o perfil étnico-racial em adolescentes de 12 anos em Minas Gerais

Abstract

The fluoridation of public water supplies is a key collective health strategy in Brazil. This study aimed to describe the distribution of dental caries experience and access to piped water according to ethno-racial profiles among 12-year-old adolescents in the state of Minas Gerais, based on data from the SB Brasil 2023 survey. This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study with a quantitative approach, based on secondary data from the National Oral Health Survey (SB Brasil 2023). The reporting followed the STROBE and RECORD guidelines. Descriptive analyses were performed, presenting absolute and relative frequencies, using JAMOVI software. It was observed that 94% of adolescents had access to piped water in at least one room of the household. The proportion of restricted access to water was higher among self-declared black adolescents (7,7%) compared to white adolescents (3,2%). Similarly, caries experience was more frequent among black adolescents (61,5%) than among white adolescents (36,8%). In conclusion, there are disparities in the distribution of dental caries experience and access to piped water according to ethno-racial profiles in the state of Minas Gerais. These findings contribute to the state’s epidemiological landscape and indicate the need for future analytical studies to further explore these relationships.