Prevalence of Dental Caries Lesions in Kavanayén

Abstract

Introduction: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease influenced by various biological, social, and environmental factors. It is characterized by the progressive demineralization of hard tooth tissues. The Kavanayén population belongs to the Pemón ethnicity in Bolívar state, Venezuela. Proyecto Mayú is a foundation of the Universidad Central de Venezuela that provides medical and dental care to rural communities. Objective: To determine the prevalence of dental caries lesions in children and adolescents from the indigenous community of Kavanayén. Project: The pediatric dentistry care program includes data collection, preventive treatment (hygiene techniques, application of silver diamine fluoride, fluoride gel and varnish, and tartrectomies), and restorative treatment (restorations, endodontics, and extractions). A total of 179 patients aged between 0 and 17 years received care, of whom 111 presented dental caries. The prevalence of caries was 62.01%. The DMFT index was 0.66 (SD 0.689) and the dmft was 2 (SD 1.842). A total of 526 preventive procedures and 119 restorative procedures were performed. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries in the population of Kavanayén is high. There is no access to public dental services near the community, which undermines oral health. The implementation of preventive and restorative protocols is necessary to improve oral health continuously.