Prevalência e autopercepção de fluorose dentária em escolares de 12 anos residentes no município de Ponta Grossa-PR

Abstract

This research intended to evaluate the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis, as well as the self-perception of this dental problem, analyzing the comfort or discomfort related to the aesthetic look of teeth. The field work involved 473 students, 12 years old, from the county of Ponta Grossa-PR, divided into 233 boys and 240 girls. The examinations were developed by just one calibrated dentist (kappa=0,93), who used the Dean index, according to what is determined by the OMS (1999). In order to represent the county, 12 year old scoolchldren were chosen considering the proportion of the total amount of the enrolled students of each public school included in this research. A questionnaire about the fluoride intake and dental fluorosis selfperception was apllied. The prevalence of fluoride spots was 19.65%, divided into very mild (12,9%); mild (5,9%) and moderate (0,85%). No case of severe fluorosis was registered. The relationship between the presence of fluorosis and the tested variables were analised by the qui-square test (p<0,05). Verifying the prevalence related to sex, 15.9% in the male sex and 23.4% in the female sex showed clinical signs of dental fluorosis, however this difference was not statistically siginficant. No relationship was found between the presence of fluorosis and variables such as: birthplace, type of drinking water, use of toothpaste, amount of toothpaste put onto the active part of the toothbrush, report of volunteer intake of toothpaste, mouth rinse with fluoride and the frequency of daily toothbrushing. When the dental fluorosis was related to the perception of dental spots, a positive association was found in identifying thes spots by the students of both sexes. However, when either the matter of aesthetic discomfort or the reason why the participant feels discomfort with the look of his teeth was verified, no meaningful association with the presence of fluoride spots was registered. Among the schoolchildren who observed the fluorosis in their teeth, no association with problems of personal relationships, no attempt of removing the dots by the student, or the search of a dentist to remove them were reported. From the interviewed participants, only 0.6% knew what dental fluorosis meant. It was concluded that dental fluorosis, in spite of being percepted by the schoolchildren, has not contributed to their aesthetic discomfort.