AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates how tooth-brushing habits affect dental fluorosis in children from Kurunegala district, Sri Lanka, an area known for high fluorosis rates.
  • The researchers assessed factors like toothpaste type, brushing frequency, and parental involvement in teeth brushing among 15-year-old students.
  • Results indicate that brushing at least twice a day and having parents assist in brushing can lower the risk of developing dental fluorosis, supporting the importance of using fluoride toothpaste correctly.

Article Abstract

Background: Despite contributing to a reduction in dental caries, improper use of fluoridated toothpaste could add to the burden of dental fluorosis in children.

Aim: To assess the association between tooth-brushing practices such as the type and amount of toothpaste used, frequency of tooth brushing, parental assistance in tooth brushing, timing of tooth brushing and dental fluorosis in school children in Kurunegala district, an endemic area for dental fluorosis in Sri Lanka.

Methods: For this case-control study, a sex-matched sample of 15-year-old school children attending government schools in Kurunegala district and who were lifetime residents of the district was selected. Dental fluorosis was measured using the Thylstrup and Ferjeskov (TF) Index. Those children with a TF⟩1 were considered as cases and those with a TF score of 0 or 1 served as controls. An interview of parents/caregivers of the participants was used to assess risk factors for dental fluorosis. The fluoride concentration in drinking water was measured using spectrophotometry. Data analysis used chi-square tests and conditional logistic regression.

Results: Tooth brushing ≥ twice/day, brushing after breakfast and parent/care giver brushing the child's teeth reduced the likelihood of developing fluorosis.

Conclusion: Use of fluoridated toothpaste adhering to the recommended guidelines could prevent dental fluorosis in children in this endemic area.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1922/CDH_00243Thilakarathne05DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

dental fluorosis
28
tooth brushing
16
risk factors
8
dental
8
factors dental
8
drinking water
8
fluoridated toothpaste
8
school children
8
kurunegala district
8
endemic area
8

Similar Publications

Broad-based targeted lipidomic analysis of dental fluorosis population in an adult population.

Chem Phys Lipids

January 2025

College & Hospital of Stomatology, Anhui Medical University, Key Lab. of Oral Diseases Research of Anhui Province, No.81, Meishan Road, Shushan District, Hefei City, 230032 China. Electronic address:

Dental fluorosis, as a common chronic fluoride toxicity oral disease, is mainly caused by long-term excessive intake of fluoride, which seriously affects the aesthetics and function of patients' teeth. In recent years, with the rapid development of metabolomics technology, lipidomics, as an important means to study the changes in lipid metabolism in organisms, has shown great potential in revealing the mechanisms of disease development. As a major component of cell membranes and a signaling molecule, metabolic disorders of lipids are closely related to a variety of diseases, but the specific mechanism of action in dental fluorosis is still unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fluoride Exposure and Children's IQ Scores: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

JAMA Pediatr

January 2025

Division of Translational Toxicology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Importance: Previous meta-analyses suggest that fluoride exposure is adversely associated with children's IQ scores. An individual's total fluoride exposure comes primarily from fluoride in drinking water, food, and beverages.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies investigating children's IQ scores and prenatal or postnatal fluoride exposure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Groundwater contamination with fluoride is a considerable public health concern that affects millions of people worldwide. The rapid growth of urbanization has led to increase in groundwater contamination. The health risk assessment focuses on both acute and chronic health consequences as it investigates the extent and effects of fluoride exposure through contaminated groundwater.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The potential of urinary miR-200c-3p as a biomarker of fluorosis in rats.

Ecotoxicol Environ Saf

January 2025

Key Lab of Etiology and Epidemiology, Education Bureau of Heilongjiang Province & Ministry of Health (23618504), Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province 150081, China. Electronic address:

Fluorine is a strong oxidizing element and excessive intake can have harmful effects, particularly on the body's calcified tissues. Recent studies have demonstrated a link between miRNA and fluorosis. This study aimed to evaluate the time-dose-effect relationship of miR-200c-3p in plasma, urine and cartilage of rats with drinking water fluorosis, and to explore its potential as a biomarker.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Non-carcinogenic health risks of fluoride exposure in minors based on national surveillance in China, 2014 and 2018.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China.

High fluoride concentrations in groundwater represent a substantial global public health concern. In China, over 70 million individuals suffer from drinking water fluorosis. This study reports national surveillance data in 2014 and 2018, dividing affected areas into six regions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!