Knowledge and Public Perception of Dental Fluorosis in Children Living in Palestine

Abstract

Rare knowledge of dental fluorosis increases the risk of having it. Knowledge and public perception towards dental fluorosis is important factor in public health interventions and were not studied before in Palestine or Arabic countries. Objective: To study the knowledge and the public perception of dental fluorosis among Palestinian children (aged 12-18 years old) and their mothers. Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited stratified cluster random sample of 350 children aged 12-18 years and their mothers. Data of knowledge and public perception of dental fluorosis was collected through interview questionnaires with children and their mothers. Ethical approvals followed the guidelines of the Helsinki Declaration. Results: Most children (99.4%) and all mothers did not know what dental fluorosis is and had not received information about it. The majority (99.7%) did not know dental fluorosis’s causes or prevention. Concerning the public perception of dental fluorosis, 87.7% of the children and 88.6% of mothers did not have a problem with fluorosed teeth colour. Although all respondents felt that others with fluorosed teeth did not have good appearance, 96.9% of children did not hide their smile. Most of the mothers (99.7%) thought that the government should find an immediate solution for this problem. Conclusions: Lack of knowledge about dental fluorosis increases the risk of having dental fluorosis in Palestine and Arabic countries. This suggests the importance of developing immediate preventive intervention for dental fluorosis. Suffering from unrest political circumstances and having high prevalence of dental fluorosis for decades could diminish the negative impact of having coloured teeth on children’s perception and personality.