Multilevel assessment of determinants of dental caries experience in Brazil

– Objective: To examine contextual and individual determinants of dental caries experience, documenting levels of the disease in Brazil. Methods: The dental status of 34 550 12‐year‐old schoolchildren was informed by a country‐wide survey of oral health comprising 250 towns and performed in 2002–2003. Indices assessing dental caries experience were compared by sociodemographic characteristics of examined children (gender, ethnic group, localization and type of school), and geographic characteristics of participating towns [the human development index (HDI), and access to fluoridated tap water]. A multilevel model fitted the adjustment of untreated caries to individual and contextual covariates. Results: Better‐off Brazilian regions presented an improved profile of dental health, besides having a less unequal distribution of restorative dental treatments between blacks and whites, rural and urban areas, and public and private schools. Girls [odds ratio (OR) = 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0–1.1], blacks (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.5–1.7), and children studying in rural areas (OR = 1.9; 95% CI: 1.7–2.0) and public schools (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.6–1.9) presented higher odds of having untreated decayed teeth. The multilevel model identified the fluoride status of tap water (β = −0.3), the proportion of households linked to the water network (β = −0.3), and the HDI (β = −0.2), as town‐level variables associated with caries levels. Conclusion: Dental caries experience is prone to sociodemographic and geographic inequalities. The monitoring of contrasts in dental health outcomes is relevant for programming socially appropriate interventions aimed both at overall improvements and at the targeting of resources for groups of population presenting higher levels of needs.