Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Apr-Jun;7(2):203-8.
doi: 10.4103/0976-237X.183061.

The prevalence of dental fluorosis and its associated factors in Salem district

Maya Ramesh  1 , Malathi Narasimhan  2 , Ramesh Krishnan  3 , Paul Chalakkal  4 , Rita Mary Aruna  5 , Sarah Kuruvilah  6
Affiliations

The prevalence of dental fluorosis and its associated factors in Salem district

Maya Ramesh et al. Contemp Clin Dent. 2016 Apr-Jun.

Abstract

Context: There are various regions in India that have high levels of fluoride in drinking water sources. Many people residing in such places suffer from dental fluorosis (DF).

Aims: To evaluate the prevalence of DF in children residing in Salem and also to find any correlation between DF and other related factors.

Materials and methods: One school from each block of Salem (total 21 blocks) was selected for the study. A single examiner had evaluated untreated caries, lesions, and DF (for permanent anterior teeth and molars) using the Dean's fluorosis index, in all children. Water fluoride level determination at each school was done using the Tamil Nadu Water Fluoridation and Drainage Board field kit. Other factors that may have contributed to DF were assessed using a questionnaire, which was provided to each student. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using the SPSS software version 11.5.

Statistical analysis: Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.

Results: DF was present in 56.9% of the children examined. It was mostly seen in 9 years old (72%) and male (59%) children. A positive correlation was found between the occurrence of DF and the duration of residence in a place with high water fluoride content, consumption of borewell water (64%), the parts per million of fluoride in drinking water, consumption of black tea (59%). However, no correlation was found between DF, dental caries, consumption of milk, or consumption of foods cooked in aluminum vessels.

Conclusion: There was a correlation between DF and factors such as male gender, bore well water consumption, black tea consumption and the duration of residence in a place with high water fluoride content.

Keywords: Black tea; Salem; Tamil Nadu; bore well water; dental fluorosis; school water.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tamil Nadu Water Fluoridation and Drainage Board field kit
Figure 2
Figure 2
Color change in water being matched with shade guide
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Susheela AK. Fluorosis management programme in India. Curr Sci. 1999;77:1250–6.
    1. Shortt HE, Pandit CG, Raghavachari TN. Endemic fluorosis in the Nellore district of South India. Indian Med Gaz. 1937;72:396–8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Susheela AK, Kumar A, Bhatnagar M, Bahadur R. Prevalence of endemic fluorosis with gastro-intestinal manifestations in people living in some North Indian villages. Fluoride. 1993;26:97–104.
    1. Sendesh Kannan K, Ramasubramanian V. Assessment of fluoride contamination in ground water using GIS, Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, India. Int J Eng Sci Technol. 2011;3:1077–85.
    1. Ramesh M, Shankar R, Krishnan R, Malathi N, Aruna RM. Prevalence of dental fluorosis in the district of Salem, Tamil Nadu, South India: A pilot study. J Orofac Sci. 2014;6:37–40.