Fluorosis prevalence among Bandar Abbas pupils

Introduction: Tooth decay is the most prevalent human disease after common
cold. Although, fluoride in drinking water and daily meals can prevent teeth
decay, its over consumption may cause fluorosis. This research was designed to
study fluorosis prevalence rate in Bandar Abbas pupils, Iran.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 867 pupils were randomly selected using
a multi-stage sampling technique.
Demographic characteristics of the pupils were collected and fluorosis degree
based on Dean criteria was classified. Descriptive methods and t, ANOVA and
Chi-Square tests were used for analysis and p<0.05 was considered as the
significance level.
Results: A total of 867 pupils were investigated. Mean fluoride rate for drinking
water was 73% mg/l. Mild, moderate and severe fluorosis rate was 19.63%. The
rates for male and female pupils were 18.9% and 19.26%, respectively. This
difference was not statistically significant.
Conclusion: High rate of fluoride in Bandar Abbas drinking water and high
prevalence rate of fluorosis in pupils necessitate preventive measures and
education programs for families.