Metrics details. A Correction to this article was published on 14 August To describe the methodological aspects of a Prospective Cohort Study of adult oral health in Piracicaba, Brazil. The main objective was to evaluate the risk factors for tooth loss in adults. Data were collected at households and selected via probabilistic sampling, through clinical examination of caries, considering as variables the decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth index, need for caries treatment, periodontal disease Community Periodontal Index and Periodontal Attachment Loss , use and need for dental prosthesis, and presence of visible biofilm.
A questionnaire about demographic, socioeconomic and health habits, use of dental services, self-perceived quality of life Oral Health Impact Profile and health literacy item Health Literacy Scale was also employed.
Despite the follow-up sample loss, most sociodemographic characteristics remained in the participant sample: for example, women According to the Global Burden of Disease, between and the conditions of untreated caries, severe periodontal disease, and tooth loss were among the conditions with the most impact on worldwide health [ 1 ]. Oral diseases, in addition to causing physical, social and psychological injuries, have a financial impact on developed as well as developing countries [ 2 ].
Even though they are preventable, they remain one of the major public health problems in the world [ 3 ]. Despite significant advances in the field of Dentistry and Public Health, untreated caries in permanent teeth is the most prevalent disease in the world [ 4 ], with periodontal disease in the sixth place [ 5 ]. In both cases, the last decades have seen no reduction of prevalence in adults [ 4 , 5 ], and these health issues commonly lead to tooth loss [ 1 ]. Epidemiological surveys are an important instrument for verifying the actual health conditions of the population and the general effects of provided services [ 6 ].
Recent studies have shown a reduction in the impact of oral diseases to younger age groups. Their prevalence and severity, however, increases depending on the studied age group [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]. Due to disparities in the experience of caries DMFT found in the adult age group 35โ44 years by the last epidemiological surveys of oral health performed in Brazil [ 6 ] when compared with adolescents 15โ19 years and elderly 65โ74 years , it is necessary to study an extended adult age group and not as recommended by the World Health Organization [ 7 ].
