Dental Fluorosis in Children from Aguascalientes, Mexico: A Persistent Public Health Problem

Osiel González Dávila

doi:10.3390/w13081125

Abstract

This paper estimates the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among participants in the first wave of The Aguascalientes Longitudinal Study of Child Development (EDNA). The analytical sample includes 1052 children in 100 public elementary schools. Dental fluorosis is determined using the Modified Dean’s Index. There is a 43% general dental fluorosis prevalence, and the estimated Community Fluorosis Index is 0.99. Five municipalities report average groundwater fluoride concentrations above the official Mexican guideline value of 1.5 mg/L. In those municipalities, there is a 50% average dental fluorosis prevalence. An ordered logistic regression analysis indicates that obesity in participants increases the likelihood of suffering more severe dental fluorosis symptoms compared with normal-weight participants (OR = 1.62, p < 0.05). Households consuming tap water are more likely to have children suffering more severe dental fluorosis symptoms (OR = 1.63, p < 0.05). Children aged 8 years are more likely to present more severe dental fluorosis symptoms than their peers aged 7 years (OR = 1.37, p < 0.05). Dental fluorosis will persist as a public health problem in Aguascalientes State unless appropriate technologies for fluoride removal from water are installed and operated.

Highlights

Dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis are major public health concerns around the world
The first edition of the Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1984 [38] recognized that dental fluorosis is associated with fluoride levels in drinking water above 1.5 mg/L
In terms of regional differences, children residing in the municipality of Jesús María were less likely to suffer more severe dental fluorosis symptoms than children living in Aguascalientes, the capital municipality

Summary

Introduction

Dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis are major public health concerns around the world. Households consuming tap water were more likely to have children suffering more severe dental fluorosis symptoms (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.03–2.60). In terms of regional differences, children residing in the municipality of Jesús María were less likely to suffer more severe dental fluorosis symptoms than children living in Aguascalientes, the capital municipality (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34–0.91).

Results

Conclusion