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| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 7
| Issue : 13 | Page : 80-87 |
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Aesthetic perceptions of children and parents in relation to severity of dental fluorosis in Nalgonda District, an endemic fluorosis area of Andhra Pradesh
S Suresh1, GN Chandu1, GM Prashant1, VV Subba Reddy2
1 Department of Public Health Dentistry, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere. Kamataka-577 004, India
2 Department of Pedodontics and Public Health Dentistry, College of Dental Sciences, Davangere. Kamataka-577 004, India
Correspondence Address:
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
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Background: Aesthetic disfigurement of teeth is one of the significant consequences of Fluorosis. The studies involving the lay individuals' perceptions of fluorosis are of special significance, as public perceptions of esthetics drive demands for treatment and could, in a large sense, drive the need to reduce fluorosis prevalence.
Objective: To assess the esthetic perceptions of 13-15 year old school children and their parents of Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh in relation to different scores of Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis {TSIF) of the children.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 1000 school children, aged 13-15 years, who were lifelong residents of communities with different drinking water fluoride levels in Nalgonda district. Samples were selected by stratified random cluster sampling. Demographics and the esthetic perceptions of the children and their parents were recorded using a structured questionnaire. Severity of Dental fluorosis of the children was recorded using Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF). Drinking water samples were collected and analyzed for fluoride concentration. Spearman Correlation Coefficient, Mann-Whitney U test and Kappa statistics were used for statistical analysis.
Results: Fluorosis prevalence of the study population was 98.2%. Teeth with a TSIF score of 1 were perceived to be more pleasant than fluorosis free teeth. As the TSIF score increased, the percentage of children and parents who perceived the teeth to be unpleasant and stained increased and this change was drastic at TSIF scores 3 and 4. |
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