title: Comparison of the dental health status of 8 to 14-year-old children in France and in Jordan, a country of endemic fluorosis.
abstract: In the present paper, data obtained from a survey dealing with dental carie, dental fluorosis and gingival health, involving 2618 Jordanian schoolchildren, aged 8 to 14, were compared with data from another survey dealing with 1058 schoolchildren of the same age groups living in a non-fluoridated area in the west of France. As regards dental carie in temporary teeth, up to the age of 12, the dft and dfs scores were higher in France than in Jordan. Over the age of 12, the difference was no longer significant. As regards dental carie in permanent teeth, the data showing that Jordanian children are less subject to caries than the French were very highly significant. Also, it was shown that caries index in girls was higher than in boys. These data were not significant in the French survey, but highly significant in the Jordanian investigation. A possible explanation is that, due to the custom of the country, boys in Jordan drink much more tea (with high fluoride content) than girls. As regards gingival health, an interesting finding was that, compared to the French children, the percentage of Jordanian children presenting gingivitis is remarkably low. The fluoride content of the dental plaque might play a restricting and preventing role.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fraysse
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Bilbeissi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benamghar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kerebel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D009909:Oral Health; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012737:Sex Factors