Association Between Body Mass Index and Caries Experience in Brazilian Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between caries and body mass index (BMI) deviations in Brazilian schoolchildren and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 237 three- to 15-year-old children, all undergoing treatment in a university pediatric dental clinic, was evaluated. Caretakers answered a questionnaire on sociodemographic, ethnicity, oral hygiene, and dietary information. The children's height was measured in centimeters, the weight in kilograms, and BMIs were calculated. A dental exam was done. All data were analyzed using Epi Info 7.1.5 and Graph Pad Prism 5.0 software with a significance level of five percent. RESULTS: The mean BMI in the studied population was 17.78 (+/-3.30 SD); all scores fell within the 12.5 to 30.0 BMI range. The distribution of decayed, missing, and filled primary and permanent teeth (dmft/DMFT) was statistically similar among normal weight, underweight, overweight, and obese children (P>0.05). There was no correlation between BMI and caries experience. The univariate and multivariate analysis using modifier factors as covariables did not demonstrate an association between BMI status and caries experience (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: BMI deviations are not associated with caries experience.