Abstract
It is questionable whether socioeconomic factors influence the choice of marketed children’s dentifrices and whether these products are associated with greater fluoride (F) intake in children. The present cross-sectional study involving 197 children (mean age: 40.98 ± 6.62 months) was carried out in Montes Claros, Brazil. Parents completed a questionnaire on socioeconomic status and the tooth brushing habits of their children. The children brushed their teeth and saliva residues were collected for F analysis. F intake from dentifrice was determined with an ion-specific electrode. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were used to test whether the type of dentifrice (children’s or family) and F dose (<0.05 and ≥0.05 mg F/Kg of body weight/day) were associated with the independent variables (p < 0.05). No differences were found between children’s and family dentifrices regarding daily F intake (0.046 and 0.040 mg F/Kg/day, respectively; p = 0.513). The following were strong predictors for the use of a children’s dentifrice: studying at a private kindergarten (OR: 6.89; p < 0.001); age that the child begun to tooth brush <2 years (OR: 2.93; p = 0.041), and the interaction between the variables “use of the same dentifrice as parents” and “type of tooth brush used” (OR: 27.20; p < 0.001). “The amount of dentifrice used” and “frequency of tooth brushing” (p ≤ 0.004) had a statistically and synergistic effect over the daily F dose. The present study found a social influence over the choice of dentifrice: children with a high socioeconomic status tend to use a children’s dentifrice. The amount of dentifrice used can strongly increase the risk of exposure to higher doses of F, regardless of the type of dentifrice.
Highlights
Despite the increasing prevalence of dental fluorosis in both developed [1] and developing countries [2], the association between dental fluorosis and fluoride (F) intake by young children is a controversial subject with no strong evidence of the association [3,4,5]
The study [12] only compared socioeconomic status (SES) to brushing habits but there are no data on whether socioeconomic factors influence the choice of a particular type of dentifrice or whether SES is associated with greater F intake by children from tooth brushing with fluoridated dentifrices
The use of a children’s dentifrice was statistically associated with studying at a private kindergarten (48.1%), parents who had more than 10 years of study (64.4%), high and medium SES (35.6–49.0%), use of different dentifrices between child and family (81.5%), an adult brushing the child’s teeth (75.0%) and use of a children’s tooth brush (96.0%) (p < 0.001)
Summary
Despite the increasing prevalence of dental fluorosis in both developed [1] and developing countries [2], the association between dental fluorosis and fluoride (F) intake by young children is a controversial subject with no strong evidence of the association [3,4,5]. F intake from drinking water and dentifrices are important risk factors for F intake [6] and dental fluorosis [7,8]. Socioeconomic factors have been suggested as potential risk factors for dental fluorosis [9,10] and F intake level by children [11]. It has been reported that children with a higher socioeconomic status (SES) use a greater amount of dentifrice when tooth brushing and spend more time tooth brushing [12]. The study [12] only compared SES to brushing habits but there are no data on whether socioeconomic factors influence the choice of a particular type of dentifrice (such as a children’s dentifrice) or whether SES is associated with greater F intake by children from tooth brushing with fluoridated dentifrices
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More From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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