title: The prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among 12-year-old schoolchildren in Jordan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess dental fluorosis, provide base-line data among Jordanian children and to compare fluorosis in incisor teeth between areas with different fluoride levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study among school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 1878 subjects aged 12 years, 940 boys and 938 girls, were randomly selected from 128 schools in urban (69 schools) and rural (59 schools) areas. The Thylstrup & Fejerskov (TF) index was used to record the dental fluorosis on the labial surfaces of incisors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 18.5% of the children examined showed dental fluorosis. The difference in fluorosis between males (17%) and females (20%) was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Children in rural areas had a higher prevalence of fluorosis (31.8%) than their counterparts in urban areas (11.3%), a difference that was statistically significant (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that there is a need for continued monitoring of mottling and further investigation into the fluoride intake from all sources in Jordan. However, there is a need to change the drinking water supplies in the southern region of Jordan. Active steps should also be taken to suppress emissions of vapours high in fluoride from phosphate plants to within acceptable limits.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan. anwarm@ju.edu.jo
authors.forename: M A M
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hamdan
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000473:pathology; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008437:Maxilla; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index