INTRODUÇÃO: A cárie dentária e obesidade são doenças multifatoriais de alta prevalência na população infantil do Chile, e ambos são evitáveis desde a primeira infância. Estas doenças compartilham associações com hábitos alimentares e sócio-culturais determinantes. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a coexistência entre cárie e obesidade na população escolar de 6 anos na Região Metropolitana de Santiago, Chile. METODOLOGIA: A amostra foi constituída por 571 escolares de 6 anos residentes nas comunidades com água fluoretada da Região Metropolitana de Santiago, Chile, em 2004-2005. Para diagnóstico de cárie foi aplicado o critério da OMS para estudos epidemiológicos. O diagnóstico nutricional foi realizado segundo o IMC/idade e sexo em relação às curvas CDC-NCHS, considerando-se obesas as crianças com percentil ≥95. As variáveis de nível socioeconômico (SEL) e sexo foram registrados. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa entre história de cárie e estado nutricional (NS) (P = 0,837), tanto na dentição primária quanto na permanente (P = 0,306). Não houve associação de risco (OR 0,88; IC 0,60-1,28; 95%). As crianças com sobrepeso tiveram menor prevalência de cárie e da história do que as com peso normal ou obesas. Não houve relação significativa entre NS, SEL e ocorrência de cárie na análise multivariada. CONCLUSÃO: A obesidade não está relacionada com cárie dentária nesta amostra. As crianças com sobrepeso tiveram menor prevalência e severidade de cárie.

PURPOSE: Dental caries and obesity are multifactorial diseases of high prevalence in Chilean child population, and both are preventable from early age. They share association with diet habits and socio-cultural determinants. The objective of this study was to determine the coexistence between caries and obesity in 6 year-old schoolchildren from the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile. METHODS: A sample was composed by 571 6 year-old schoolchildren from the fluoridated communes of the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile, in 2004-2005. Caries diagnosis was performed by using the WHO criteria for epidemiological studies. Nutritional diagnosis was carried out according to BMI/age and sex in relation to CDC-NCHS curves, considering obese children with a ≥95 percentile. Socioeconomic level (SEL) and sex were recorded. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was found between caries history and nutritional status (NS) (P=0.837), in both primary and permanent dentition (P=0.306).There was no risk association (OR 0.88; IC 0.60-1.28; 95%). Overweight children had less caries prevalence and history than normal weight and obese children. No relationship was found at the multivariate analysis between NS, SEL and caries occurrence. CONCLUSION: Obesity is not related to dental caries in this sample. Overweight children had less caries prevalence and severity.

Background: Salivary infection due to Streptococci mutans is considered the main microbiological risk factor for the initiation of dental caries. Aim: To evaluate a semi-quantitative method to assess Streptococci mutans salivary infection and compare it with the existing quantitative method. Patient and methods: Saliva samples were obtained from 650 pre-school children aged 2 to 6 years old using a TYCSB liquid medium for counting Streptococci mutans. Results were compared with quantitative cultures. Results: There was a 99.3% linear correlation coefficient between both methods. The correlation coefficients with dental caries prevalence were 97% for the semi quantitative method and 90% for the quantitative method. Conclusions: The semi-quantitative method to assess oral infection with Streptococci mutans, is accurate enough to be used in population studies and oral infection prevention programs in developing countries (Rev Méd Chile 2003; 131: 412-8).