Prevalência de cárie dentária e fluorose dentária numa amostra de crianças e adolescentes de um meio com água fluoretada

: Ponta Delgada : e de um meio sem água fluoretada : Viseu : estudo piloto

Abstract

Introduction: Fluoridated water consumption alongside other means of fluoride administration have been efficiently used for many decades in the prevention of dental caries. However, its use has been associated with a raising prevalence of dental fluorosis. Objectives: To evaluate and compare dental caries and dental fluorosis prevalence among a sample of students from a region with fluoridated water (Ponta Delgada, Azores) and another sample from a non-fluoridated region (Viseu). To relate DMFT and Dean's Indexes with socio-demographic variables, oral health behaviours, sugar consumption and access to different sources of fluoride administration. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate a sample of 157 students from Ponta Delgada and 98 from Viseu, aged 10 – 17 years old, with an age average of 12,77 and 11,21 years, respectively. An intra-oral examination to identify the DMFT and Dean's Indexes was performed in every student, whom was also asked to fill in a questionnaire to assess socio-demographic data, oral health behaviours and access to different means of fluoride administration. Statistical analysis was completed using the Qui-square test and Fisher's exact test to identify dependence among the variables included in the study. Results: The results revealed a lower prevalence of dental caries in Ponta Delgada (DMFT: 2,20 vs. 1,60 ) but an almost 4 times higher prevalence of dental fluorosis (15,3 vs. 4,1%). The students from Ponta Delgada had a higher sugar consumption, although they revealed better oral health behaviours. Despite only less than 30% of the sample from Ponta Delgada used to drink water from the public fluoridated water supply, in this subgroup that did, one in every four students had dental fluorosis. Conclusion: The therapeutic effect of the natural presence of fluoride in the water supply system of Ponta Delgada, alongside better oral health behaviours and widespread access to alternative sources of fluoride, led to a lower prevalence and severity of dental caries, when compared to Viseu, a non-fluoridated region. However, this beneficial effect of fluoridated water found in Ponta Delgada is counter-balanced by an almost 4 times higher prevalence in dental fluorosis.

Date of Award	17 Sept 2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Jorge Galvão Martins Leitão (Supervisor) & Nélio Jorge Veiga (Co-Supervisor)