Oral health disparities among adolescents from urban and rural communities of central Chile

Abstract

Purpose: Rural populations may be at increased risk for prevalent oral diseases. The aim of this study was to compare oral health status of adolescents of rural and urban areas from central Chile. Methods: A representative sample of 552 and 486 adolescents aged 12 and 15 years, respectively, was examined using WHO methods. Adolescents were chosen from schools belonging to urban and rural districts of the region. Caries status was obtained by decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) and significant caries (SiC) indexes. The gingival exam included the oral hygiene index (OHI) of Silness and Löe and the gingival index (GI) of Löe and Silness. Clinical attachment loss and community periodontal inde..