The relation between drinking water fluoride concentration and DMFT index: a case study on elementary school students in Sarayan County, Iran

Abstract

Background: Dental caries can lead to loss of tooth tissue, microbial infiltration to the pulp, pain and eventually tooth loss. WHO has set DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) index for measuring oral health. The aim of this research was studying the relation between drinking water fluoride concentration and DMFT index in the elementary schools of Sarayan County. Methods: This study was conducted on 420 students in the cities of Saryan, Ayask, and Seh Qaleh in Sarayan County, South Khorasan Province, Iran. Data of DMFT were collected through observation and completion of a questionnaire. Fluoride concentration in well water samples was measured by SPADNS spectrophotometric method. Results: The average of fluoride concentration in 9 wells of drinking water samples was 0.34 mg/L. The amount of DMFT in 12-year old students was (2.21±0.1) which was higher than that 7-year olds (0.24±0.02). The average value of DMFT index was 1.34±0.08 and 1.29±0.06 for male and female students, respectively. No dental fluorosis was detected among studied students. Analysis showed a significant reverse relation between fluoride concentration and DMFT index (P-Value=0.02). Conclusions: Fluoride concentration in the water of Sarayan County was less than the minimum acceptable level of 0.5 mg/L. Although, DMFT values of less than 1 are acceptable by WHO, the measured values at Sarayan were higher than 1. Therefore, it is necessary to plan for oral and dental care and pay more attention to the regulations of fluoride in drinking water.