Examining the Prevalence of Fluorosis in 6-12-Year-Old Children in Saveh Schools

Fluorosis is specific damage to the tooth structure that is seen on the enamel. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of this problem in children aged 6 and 12 in Saveh, Iran. In a 2-stage cluster study, 428 students were selected. Demographic and geographical information was recorded. The students’ teeth were examined. The amount of fluorosis was determined according to the Dean's index. Dental fluorosis status was divided into two categories: "does not have fluorosis", nd "has fluorosis", including cases with degrees of dental fluorosis. dmft / DMFT/dmft index was also measured. Study data were analyzed by Sample complex analysis and General Liner model methods. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered. More than 80% of students had natural enamel. Fluorosis was seen in 13.8% of students. There was no significant relationship between dental fluorosis and the age of samples in the first and sixth grades, but the chance of seeing dental fluorosis at 12 years was 2 times that of 6 years (p-value = 0.12). There was not a significant relationship between dmft and DMFT and dental fluorosis (p-value = 0.11 and p-value = 0.10, respectively). Among the 376 students who used fluoridated toothpaste, 15.2% had fluorosis. The highest fluoride content in drinking water was 1ppm.

Variables such as sex, age, and use of fluoride toothpaste had no significant effect on the prevalence of fluorosis. Drinking water with fluoride levels up to 1ppm cannot cause severe fluorosis.