Opacities and hypoplasia in the enamel of Burmese children from a low fluoride area

Abstract

A study of the prevalence and distribution of enamel opacities and hypoplasia in 983 Burmese children from a low fluoride area shows that such defects may be due to a number of different causes. The relatively high prevalence of enamel defects in the upper incisors suggests a local cause, which may be traumatic injury to the primary predecessor. It should be stated that any systemic disease or serious nutritional deficiency is capable of producing enamel defects, since the ameloblasts are one of the most sensitive groups of cells in the body in terms of metabolic function.