Factors Associated with Premature Loss of Primary Teeth in Brazilian Children.

Premature loss of primary teeth can lead to negative consequences in both dentitions. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with the premature loss of primary teeth and the child's socioeconomic status, main caretaker during the day, age range, sex, and previous caries experience. A total of 192 two- to 10-year-old Brazilian schoolchildren, seen at the Vila Velha University pediatric dental clinic, were assigned to two groups: the primary tooth loss group (PTLG) and a control group without tooth loss (CG)-from May 2016 to March 2017. Two calibrated examiners conducted the children's clinical oral assessments to determine caries experience and tooth loss with the decayed, missing, and filled tooth (dmft) index. Socioeconomic status was assessed using the Brazilian government's socioeconomic classification criteria. A sociodemographic questionnaire regarding the child's age, sex and whom she spent the day with was conducted. There were 94 children in the PTLG and 98 in the CG. Variables associated with the prevalence of tooth loss were spending the day without the mother (<0.001; odds ratio [OR] = 6.2), higher dmft scores (<0.01; OR=3.1), and worse socioeconomic and educational status (=0.01; OR=1.9). Age and sex were not associated with primary tooth loss. Premature loss of primary teeth is associated with poor oral health status, spending the day without mother's care, and low socioeconomic status.