The clinical and demographic profile of patients attending the Brazilian Navy’s Dental Center and the role of the dentists on the integral attention to health O perfil clínico e demográfico do paciente assistido pela odontoclínica central da marinha e o papel do cirurgião-dentista na atenção integral à saúde

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the profile of the patients of
the Sistema de Saúde da Marinha attending the Brazilian Navy’s
Dental Center (Odontoclínica Central da Marinha), in addition to
investigate the possible association of number of teeth and systemic
risk factors. More than one thousand anamnesis charts and 750 clinical
examinations performed by the Preventive Dentistry Service were
evaluated. Data were evaluated by subgrouping the study population
into the following age groups: 20 to 39 years, 40 to 59, and 60 years or
more. A stratified analysis aimed to clarify whether the mean number
of teeth of patients aged over 50, smokers, diabetics, with osteoporosis
and / or hypercholesterolemia, was lower when compared to those
without such risks. The association of number of systemic risk factors
and number of teeth was investigated using Spearman correlation test.
The results have shown that the prevalence of chronic disease and the
absence of functional dentition were more frequent in the elderly. The
mean number of teeth of individuals with more systemic risk factors
was significantly lower when compared to individuals without these
factors (15.96 ± 7.58 and 19.44 ± 8.03, respectively, p = 0.01).
Spearman analysis revealed that the higher the number of systemic
risk factors, the lower the number of teeth (rho= -0,113, p = 0.01). In
conclusion, advanced age and comorbidities were associated with the
lower number of teeth in the studied sample. Prevention strategies are
fundamental for reaching good oral health and a functional dentition at
more advanced ages.