The Impact of a Dental Program for Maternal and Infant Health on the Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis

Purpose: This study's purpose was to investigate the prevalence of dental fluorosis in children, whose parents had participated in an oral health program when the children were between zero and three years old, residing in a city with fluoridated water. Methods: Group 1 consisted of 128 eight- to 12-year-olds whose parents had visited a program on at least five occasions when the children were zero to three years old and received education about tooth-brushing and the proper use of fluoridated toothpaste in this young age group. The prevalence of dental fluorosis in the permanent maxillary incisors, using the Thylstrup-Fejerskov index, in Group 1 was compared to that of an age-matched group of children (n=128) whose parents had not participated in the program (Group 2). Results: Group 1 mothers reported higher education levels (P<.05). Group 1 children had a significantly lower prevalence (∼42 percent) and severity (P<.05) of dental fluorosis than those in the control group (∼61 percent). Conclusion: Children whose parents participated in a dental program that included counselling on the proper amount of fluoridated toothpaste when their children were between zero and three years old presented less frequently with dental fluorosis than a control group when examined at eight to 12 years old.