THE UPSTREAM CAUSES OF ORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Brazilian population has been experiencing an overall improvement of the oral health status over the recent years. The decline in dental caries occurrence in children and adolescents, and the rise in tooth retention among adolescents and adults may suggest a positive shift in oral health according to the last national oral health surveys. However, periodontal disease prevalence increased among adults and the high levels of edentulism remained stable among elderly people.