Algunas creencias sobre susceptibilidad y severidad de la caries en adolescentes del Valle del Cauca, Colombia (Some beliefs about caries susceptibility and severity in adolescent from the Valle del Cauca, Colombia)

Objective: To know existing beliefs about susceptibility and severity of dental caries in high school adolescents in the State of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Methods: The Health Belief Model was used as the theoretic and methodological basis for a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out in 38 out of 42 municipalities of the State of Valle of Cauca. A total of 5.400 adolescent students registered in public and private high schools aged of 10 and 20 were selected through a probabilistic, cluster, tri-stage, and stratified sample process. Results: Overall, 51% of the participants believe that dental caries do not affect the mastication process; 52% think they cannot suffer caries again once their teeth have been filled, and 54% does not associate caries with digestion changes; 80% does not relate the use of braces and retainers with the disease; 92% believes dental caries can affect any person and 91% believe that caries might make them lose their teeth. Conclusions: Beliefs on the severity of caries are favorable in general and beliefs about susceptibility must be improved through preventive intervention strategies directed to this population group