Is Dental Fluorosis More Prone/Susceptible to Tooth Erosion?

Abstract

Background: The fluoride drug is mentioned as a double-edged weapon due to its positive and negative outcomes. Reducing dental caries in large population, cost effective and excess fluoride in teeth or body may lead to systemic diseases and even death. Dental erosion affects the hard tissues of the teeth rendering them vulnerable to decay. Methods & Materials: A school based descriptive cross-sectional survey. Purposive sampling was performed. All examiners were calibrated and trained for the criteria to identify dental fluorosis and dental erosion. The World Health Organisation Oral Health Assessment form 2013 was used to fill and measure dental fluorosis and erosive tooth wear. For Univariate analysis, mean, frequencies of both genders (dental erosion and Fluorosis) while Chi square was calculated and for bivariate analysis. Results: 22.7 % students were found to have fluorosis (ranging from questionable level to severe). Male students (primarily teenagers) had more enamel erosion as compared to the female’s ones. Conclusion: The higher levels of fluoride in water may make children and adults more susceptible to erosive tooth wear. Consuming excess fluoridated water may turn the mild fluorosis cases into moderate or severe ones. Keywords: Fluorosis, Erosive Tooth Wear, Gender, Fluoride