%0 Journal Article
%T Tooth Loss Rates Over 13 Years in Remote Amazonian Indigenous Communities: Impact of the Belo Monte Dam
%A Alexander Paul Stevens
%A Michael Andrew Collins
%A Jonathan Robert Hayes
%J Journal of Medical Sciences and Interdisciplinary Research
%@ 3108-4826
%D 2021
%V 1
%N 1
%R 10.51847/4at7U8WSHT
%P 97-104
%X The prevalence of tooth loss in indigenous communities of the Amazon highlights the urgency of implementing oral health strategies that respect cultural contexts. This study aimed to determine the rate of tooth loss over a 13-year span in two remote indigenous populations. A prospective cohort followed 47 individuals with permanent dentition at baseline (T0) and 13 years later (T1) from the villages of Arara-Laranjal (n = 28; mean ages 16.1 and 29.9 years) and Assurini do Xingu (n = 19; mean ages 15.9 and 29.5 years), representing separate ethnic groups. Multilevel Poisson regression was used to examine the effect of sex, age, and village on tooth loss. At baseline, all participants had complete permanent dentition. By T1, 42 individuals (89%) had lost at least one tooth, totaling 172 teeth, with females showing a higher incidence (97%) than males (76%). Ethnic background did not influence tooth loss (p = 1.000). Males exhibited a significantly lower risk (β = −0.50, p < 0.05), whereas age showed no association. The highest frequency of tooth loss occurred in the lower second molars (females 22/46.8%, males 11/23.4%), and overall, molars were the teeth most affected. These results suggest that increased interaction with urban populations may be driving higher rates of tooth loss.
%U https://smerpub.com/article/tooth-loss-rates-over-13-years-in-remote-amazonian-indigenous-communities-impact-of-the-belo-monte-rd9hdk1vvufc1ar