Radiographic Evaluation of the Lower First Permanent Molars of Children from Southeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the health condition of the lower first permanent molars of children aged 6 to 12 years from the Southeast states in Brazil (Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo). Material and Methods: 1300 digital panoramic radiographs (2600 lower first permanent molars) from a database were analyzed by a calibrated examiner for the presence of carious lesions in dentin, pulp involvement, presence of restorative and/or filling material, and periapical lesion. Results: Data were analyzed using the R software (p<0.05; 95% IC). The right and left sides were compared using the McNemar's test. 51.1% of the sample were male, and 48.9% were female (mean of 9.2 years; SD = 1.9). 6.4% of the teeth had carious lesions, 7.3% had restorative material, and 0.3% were absent. The mixed linear regression model showed that age advance was proportional to the increase in the number of missing teeth (p=0.012), decayed, restored, and periapical lesions (p<0.001). There was a higher incidence of restored teeth in females (8.5%) than in 6.1% of males (p=0.019). Conclusion: There was a low incidence of dentin dental caries lesions and a low rate of loss of the permanent lower molar in children from Southeastern Brazil. As the individual ages, alterations in the lower first molars increase. There was no association with sex, except for the presence of restorations.