Sociodemographic Determinants of Dental Fluorosis in Mangaluru, Karnataka, India: An Explorative Study

Abstract

Aim:To analyze the sociodemographic determinants of dental fluorosis among high school children aged 12–16 years in Mangaluru, Karnataka, India.Materials and method:A cross-sectional study was conducted. Simple random sampling technique was employed to select the three schools for the present study. Demographic details and previous medical history was assessed by administering the questionnaire to the study subjects. Presence of dental fluorosis was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) oral health assessment form of 2013.Results:A total of 500 students were examined for the present study. A major fraction of the study population was formed by males. It was observed that 95 participants were affected by varying severity of dental fluorosis with the prevalence of 19%. Correlation and logistic regression analysis showed the occupation of father and dietary pattern to be significantly correlated with the presence of fluorosis in study subjects. Conclusion:Prevalence and severity of the condition are found to have a huge burden in the given urban population of Mangaluru city. As the occupation of father and dietary pattern showed significant association with fluorosis, further interventional studies are recommended to be conducted considering these socioeconomic factors. Clinical significance:Results of the present study will further our understanding of the association between prevalence and social determinants of dental fluorosis, which may be critical for prevention and control of the condition.