Abstract
To describe the prevalence of dental fluorosis, to investigate its association with individual and contextual variables among 12-year-old schoolchildren, and to determine whether there were changes in the prevalence of this condition from 2003 to 2010. This cross-sectional study used data from an oral health survey carried out in Goiânia, Goiás, in 2010 (n = 2,075), and secondary data from the files of the local health authority. Clinical data were collected through oral examinations in public and private schools. The dependent variable was the presence of dental fluorosis, assessed using the Dean Index. The independent individual variables were sociodemographic characteristics (the child's gender and race, and the mother's level of schooling) and those related to clinical conditions (caries experience, evaluated using Decayed, Missing, and Filled teeth index; and presence of periodontal calculus and/or bleeding, evaluated using Community Periodontal Index). The contextual variables were linked to the school (type and existence of toothbrushing program) and its geographic location in the city's health districts. The Rao-Scott test was performed, and the percentage difference between the prevalences in the period from 2003 to 2010 was calculated. The prevalence of dental fluorosis in 2010 was 18.7%, being distributed as very mild (11.2%), mild (4.4%), moderate (2.6%), and severe (0.5%). No significant association was found between prevalence of dental fluorosis and the investigated variables. The prevalence of fluorosis increased 230% from 2003 to 2010, and such difference was significant. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was low, predominantly of the very mild degree, has increased over a 7-year period, and was not associated with the individual or contextual factors studied.
Highlights
The epidemiological surveys about oral health constitute important tools to monitor the levels and patterns of the health-disease process in the population[1]
Dental fluorosis is characterized by visible changes in the opacity of the enamel owing to alterations in the mineralization process during the development of the tooth germ[5]
Between 2003 and 2010, the prevalence of dental fluorosis in Goiânia, Goiás, increased 230% (p < 0.001) (Table 2)
Summary
The epidemiological surveys about oral health constitute important tools to monitor the levels and patterns of the health-disease process in the population[1]. Dental fluorosis is characterized by visible changes in the opacity of the enamel owing to alterations in the mineralization process during the development of the tooth germ[5]. This clinical effect is associated with the cumulative intake of fluoride in the tooth formation period[6]. Fluorine is being added to processed foods and beverages, which contributes to a concomitant ingestion of fluorides from various sources This setting reinforces the importance of constant monitoring of adverse effects of fluorine on the population and highlights the need for better information about the addition of fluorine on the labels of industrial products[8]
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