Iniquidades em saúde bucal: escolares beneficiários do Bolsa Família são mais vulneráveis? Inequalities in oral health: are schoolchildren receiving the Bolsa Família more vulnerable?

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between being a recipient of the Bolsa Familia program and oral health conditions in Brazilian schoolchildren. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,107 schoolchildren aged between eight and 12 years from 20 public and private schools in Pelotas, RS, Southern Brazil. A list of all children receiving the Bolsa Familia program was provided by the participant schools. Demographic, socioeconomic and oral hygiene information were assessed using a questionnaire completed by the schoolchildren and their parents. Dental exams were performed to assess the presence of dental plaque and prevalence of dental caries. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test, Chi-square test for linear trend and multivariate Poisson Regression (prevalence ratio; 95% confidence interval). RESULTS: Schoolchildren from non-nuclear families, with a DMFT ≥ 1 and who had never visited a dentist were associated with receiving the Bolsa Familia . Final model showed that caries prevalence was twice as high (PR 2.00; 95%CI 1.47;2.69) in schoolchildren benefiting from the