Prevalencia de caries dental según el índice CPO-D en Latinoamérica.

Abstract

The goal of this research is to examine the frequency of caries in Latin America using the CPOD/ceod index as a reference, comparing four countries: Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Chile. The aim is to investigate the factors that influence the prevalence of this pathology, the level of knowledge in oral health, the observations of different authors on these countries and the perspective of PAHO regarding this problem that persists in the oral health of the population. The methodology used is a systematic review of the literature with a descriptive approach, carried out by means of an exhaustive search in various databases such as PAHO/WHO, university digital repositories, ScienceDirect, SciELO, Latin American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (ALOP), Ministry of Health of Peru (MINSA), Ministry of Health of Colombia (ENSAB IV). A total of 185 articles were identified in Spanish, English, and Portuguese with diverse approaches; however, according to the systematic review protocol, 125 articles were selected. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 articles published between 2016 and 2023 were chosen. The results revealed a high prevalence of caries, with Peru being the country with the highest percentage, reaching 98%, with a CPOD index categorized as "high". Ecuador presented similar figures, with 97% and a "high" CPOD, followed by Chile with 70.9% and a "moderate" CPOD. Colombia recorded the lowest percentage of caries, with 63%, and a CPOD index classified as "low" on the severity scale.