Oral health of youth housed in socio-educational centers of the Juvenile Penal Area of the Province of Córdoba, Argentina.

The purpose of this research was to analyze the oral health status of youth housed in socio-educational centers of the Juvenile Penal Area of the Province of Córdoba, Argentina of corrections by considering clinical evaluation and the main sociodemographic data. Socio-demographics, healthy and unhealthy habits of self-care, and dental clinical profile were assessed for this purpose. An exploratory cross-sectional study was carried out on 70 14- to 18-year-olds who had been institutionalized for at least six months. A clinical examination was conducted and the WHO Oral Health Survey was applied. Centralization and dispersion measurements, relative frequency, multiple correspondence analysis and generalized linear models were used to describe the data. The results showed: males 94%, mean age 16.91 ± 1.11, complete primary schooling 34%, from Córdoba City 69% and belonging to nuclear families 29%. Regarding healthy habits, 71% had frequent sugar intake, and 46% brushed teeth daily; while among unhealthy habits, 80% smoked tobacco, 63% drankalcohol and 73% used psychoactive substances. Sixty-three percent had visited a dentist once, and in 80% of the cases reason for the visit was pain. Clinical examination showed high prevalence of deterioration of the oral health component (DMFT = 8.94 ± 4.75, SiC = 14.26 ± 2.15, IPC3 = 56%, MO = 53%). Clinical profile showed marked prevalence of a very high level of caries severity, gingival disease and malocclusion, but not of initial stages of caries, alterations of enamel or temporomandibular dysfunction. The socio-demographic characteristics revealed conditions of social, educational and health vulnerability, a situation which interferes with the inclusion of these youths in the productive system and their access to better living conditions.