Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry

ARTICLE
Year
: 2011  |  Volume : 9  |  Issue : 17  |  Page : 152--157

Assessment of fluoride concentration in drinking water and developmental defects of enamel in 14 -15 years old school going children in villages of davangere taluk


Veeranna Ramesh1, L Nagesh2 
1 Department Of Public Health Dentistry, M S Ramaiah Dental College and HospitaBangalore - 560054, Kamalaka State, India
2 Department Of Community Dentistry, Bapuji Dental College and Hospital Davangere - 577004, Kamataka State, India

Correspondence Address:

Background and Objectives: Developmental defects of enamel are visible deviations from the normal translucent appearance of tooth enamel resulting from enamel organ dysfunction. The high frequency of enamel defects suggests that the normal progress of enamel formation is highly susceptible to interference and disruption. In many cases, it has been an area of concern with respect to function and aesthetics of the teeth. The objectives of present study are, 1. To assess the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel among 14-15 years old school going children in rural areas of Davangere. 2. To determine the fluoride concentration in the drinking water in the study areas. 3. To find out the association if any, between severity of developmental defects of enamel with varying concentration of fluoride in drinking water. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted on 733 school children (387 males and 346 females), aged 14-15 year in rural areas of Davangere. Modified DDE index recommended by WHO was used to record the enamel defects. Estimation of fluoride concentration in drinking water was done by using Ion Selective Electrode method (ORION- USA). A proforma was used to obtain relevant personal information. Chi-square test and Karl-Pearson�SQ�s correlation coefficient test were used for statistical analysis. Results: The overall prevalence of enamel defects was 82.9% (ranging from 71.6% - 95.7%). The fluoride concentrations in drinking water of selected 8 villages were between 0.54 - 2.80 ppm. A positive correlation was seen between enamel defects and fluoride concentration in drinking water(r = +0.75). Interpretation and Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that developmental defects of enamel were common observations among school children and some villages were having more than the recommended optimal fluoride concentration in the drinking water which showed a positive correlation with the enamel defects. Thus simple, effective, inexpensive methods of defluoridation should be considered if alternative low fluoride sources of drinking water are not available.


How to cite this article:
Ramesh V, Nagesh L. Assessment of fluoride concentration in drinking water and developmental defects of enamel in 14 -15 years old school going children in villages of davangere taluk .J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2011;9:152-157


How to cite this URL:
Ramesh V, Nagesh L. Assessment of fluoride concentration in drinking water and developmental defects of enamel in 14 -15 years old school going children in villages of davangere taluk . J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent [serial online] 2011 [cited 2024 Mar 28 ];9:152-157
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2011;volume=9;issue=17;spage=152;epage=157;aulast=Ramesh;type=0