title: Association between dental enamel opacities and dental caries in a north Wales population.
abstract: This study examined the association between enamel opacities and dental caries in a population from North Wales with low levels of fluoride in the drinking water. Those subjects with only diffuse (n = 317) types of opacity had a mean DMFS of 1.6 (+/- 3.4) compared with those having only demarcated (n = 1,408) opacities of 3.4 (+/- 4.3). The group with both (n = 317) types of defect present had a DMFS of 2.4 (+/- 3.7) and the group with no defects (n = 1,496) had a DMFS of 2.7 (+/- 3.8). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.
authors.affiliation: WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Health Services Research, Dental School and Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ellwood
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: O'Mullane
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D003744:Dental Enamel Hypoplasia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005459:Fluorides