Dental Caries, Self-Reported Infectious Diseases, and Associated Factors among Incarcerated Men in the Brazilian Amazon
Rodolfo José Gomes de Araújo
State University of Pará and the Evandro Chagas Institute, Pará, Brazil.
Marcela Raíssa Asevedo Dergan
*
State University of Pará and the Evandro Chagas Institute, Pará, Brazil.
Ailson Almeida Veloso Junior
State University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
Sophia Britto Gomes de Araújo
Metropolitan University Center of the Amazon (UNIFAMAZ), Belém, Pará, Brazil.
Raimundo de Souza Vasconcelos Neto
Federal University of Pará, Pará, Brazil.
Juarez Antônio Simões Quaresma
University of São Paulo (USP), Pará, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Dental caries and oral health needs among incarcerated men require assessment in specific institutional settings.
Aims: To estimate the burden of dental caries and associated factors among incarcerated men in Pará, Brazil, and describe self-reported infectious diseases and traumatic injuries.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: A male state penitentiary in Pará, Brazil, from April to July 2024.
Methodology: In total, 127 men completed a structured questionnaire and underwent clinical examination using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Negative binomial regression was used for tooth counts, and Poisson regression with robust variance was used for binary outcomes. The caries models included 124 complete cases.
Results: The mean age was 36.1 years, and the median incarceration duration was 18 months. Untreated caries affected 83.5% of participants (95% CI 76.0–88.9). Mean DMFT was 10.0 (SD 7.2), and the Significant Caries Index was 18.0. Missing teeth accounted for 56.8% of DMFT, and the care index was 17.2%. All participants who reported interdental cleaning used improvised materials (72.4% of the sample). Lower educational attainment was associated with more decayed teeth (adjusted count ratio 1.52; 95% CI 1.10–2.10), and age was associated with more missing teeth (1.76 per decade; 95% CI 1.50–2.07). The association between incarceration duration and DMFT was attenuated after multivariable adjustment. Each additional decayed tooth was associated with an 8% higher prevalence of toothache.
Conclusion: Untreated caries and cumulative tooth loss were common. The findings support preventive and restorative dental care, rehabilitation, and reliable access to appropriate oral hygiene supplies in prison health services.
Keywords: Dental caries, Incarcerated men, Tooth loss, Oral hygiene, Infectious diseases