Prevalence-DF

How prevalent is dental fluorosis?
©1996 - 2004 PFPC

   The prevalence of dental fluorosis for children both from fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities has increased dramatically not only in many regions of North America (i.e. see: Clark, 1995; Ismail et al, 1993), but also in Europe.

   For example, in Belgium only 5% of the children displayed the early signs of dental fluorosis in 1983, while in 1998 the figure had reached 30% (Carvalhoet al, 2002).

   While the 2000 York UK review wants to make us believe that the dental fluorosis rate in children from areas fluoridated at 1ppm is at 48%, data from the last decade cleary shows that dental fluorosis is present in NON-fluoridated areas already at those levels. Canadian data shows 41.5% of children in non-fluoridated areas suffering from dental fluorosis, while the number is at 69.2% in fluoridated ones (Ismail et al, 1993).

References

Carvalho JC, Van Nieuwenhuysen JP, D'Hoore W - “The decline in dental caries among Belgian children between 1983 and 1998” Community Dent Oral Epidemiol  29(1):55-61 (2001)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrie ve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11153564&dopt=Abstract

  • “Early signs of dental fluorosis were identified in 5% in 1983 and 30% of the subjects in 1998”

Clark DC - "Trends in prevalence of dental fluorosis in North America" Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 22(3):148-52  (1994)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=80 70241&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r

Clark DC - "Evaluation of aesthetics for the different classifications of theTooth Surface Index of Fluorosis" Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 23(2):80-3 (1995)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=77 81304&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r

Ismail AI, Shoveller J, Langille D, MacInnis WA, McNally M - "Should the drinking water of Truro, Nova Scotia, be fluoridated? Water fluoridation in the 1990s" Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 21(3):118-25(1993)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=83 48782&form=6&db=m&Dopt=r