Dental fluorosis and dental caries among 12‐yr‐old children from high‐ and low‐fluoride areas in Lithuania

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis, and the occurrence of dental caries, among 12-yr-old children from high- and low-fluoride areas in a country with high caries figures and a developing oral healthcare system. The sample included a total of 600 lifetime residents from high-fluoride (HF; 1.7-2.2 ppm) and low-fluoride (LF; 0.2 ppm) areas in Lithuania. The diagnoses of dental fluorosis followed the Thylstrup-Fejerskov Index (TF), and a diagnosis of dental caries followed the World Health Organization criteria. In the HF area, 66% of the 12-yr-old children had dental fluorosis (TF score > 0) compared with 4% in the LF area. The maximum TF severity scores were 7 and 3, respectively. The mean number of teeth with fluorosis was 4.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.0, 5.0] for the HF group and 0.2 (95% CI = 0.1, 0.2) for the LF group. In the HF group, 72% had a decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT) score of > 0, compared with 87% in the LF group. The mean DMFT was 2.0 (95% CI = 1.8, 2.3) in the HF group and 3.5 (95% CI = 3.2, 3.8) in the LF group. Current untreated caries (DT) occurred (DT >0) in half of both the HF and LF groups. Regardless of the concentration of fluoride in the drinking water, the prevalence of past (DMFT > 0) and present (DT > 0) caries was high, calling for more emphasis on the prevention of tooth decay in countries, such as Lithuania, with high caries figures and a developing oral healthcare system.

Grading and quantification of dental fluorosis in zebrafish larva

“…The dose dependent effect of fluoride has been reported in several human and animal data (Dhar & Bhatnagar, 2009). The incidence of dental fluorosis in the high fluoride area is higher than that in the low fluoride area (de Moura et al, 2013;Narbutaite, Vehkalahti, & Milciuviene, 2007). For example, sheep teeth treated with low dose of fluoride for a long time and high dose of fluoride for a short time exhibited different phenotypes.…”

The relationships between low levels of urine fluoride on children's intelligence, dental fluorosis in endemic fluorosis areas in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, China

“…However, most studies examining the effects on the damages to children's intellectual ability and other aspects were conducted in regions where residents were exposed to relatively high fluoride levels (more than 3 mg/L) [5,6,13,14] while the majority of residents living in endemic fluorosis areas have been exposed to lower fluoride levels in their daily life. Although some studies [15,16] in which the fluoride exposure levels were relatively low had reported associations between low fluoride exposure and the negative effects among children, the analysis focused specifically on children's dental fluorosis condition rather than intellectual performance.…”

Analysis of dental caries prevention program in 7–12-year-old Lithuanian schoolchildren

“…Paaiškėjo, kad KPI-D indekso vidurkis įvai-riuose regionuose svyruoja, pvz., Šiauliuose jis yra 1,13 (1,43), tačiau Panevėžyje ėduonies intensyvumas išlieka gana didelis -2,91 (2,35) (2 lentelė). Nevienodą dantų ėduonies paplitimą ir intensyvumą lemia skirtingas fluoridų kiekis įvairių Lietuvos regionų geriamajame vandenyje (22,23). Visuotinai pripažįs-tama, kad fluoridų preparatai stabdo dantų ėduonies atsiradimą.…”

“…Daugiausia silantu dengtų dantų turi Vilniaus miesto moksleiviai (21 689 dantys), mažiausiai -Klaipėdos (tik 8474 dantys). Toks skirtingas dantų dengimo silantu skaičius gali būti nulemtas didelio fluoridų kiekio Klaipėdos geriamajame vandenyje (1,7-2,2 mg/l) (22,23). Dėl įrodyto antikariesogeninio fluoridų poveikio šiame regione gyvenančių vaikų dantų vagelės ir duobelės dažnai jau yra subrendusios, kietos.…”