Fluorosis prevalence among schoolchildren in a fluoridated community in Malaysia.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to assess the magnitude of the problem of fluorosis among 10-11 year old schoolchildren in a fluoridated area in Malaysia.


METHODS
An analytical cross-sectional design was adopted. Sampling of subjects was by a 2-stage systematic random sampling technique in Selangor, a fully fluoridated area. 1,343 10-11 year olds were assessed for fluorosis using the Dean's index.


RESULTS
The prevalence of fluorosis was 58.7% (788 subjects); 478 (35.6%) subjects exhibited very mild fluorosis, 196 (14.6%) mild, 102 (7.6%) moderate, 12 (0.9%) severe and 555 (41.3%) no fluorosis. Tooth prevalence was 30.1%. Overall, the Community Fluorosis Index (CFI) was 0.96 and ranged from 0.23 to 1.72. Fifteen out of 30 schools had CFI > 1.0 (medium public health significance).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of dental fluorosis in Malaysia (mostly very mild to mild) at 58.7% is indicative of slightly above optimal levels of exposure. There were pockets of areas where fluorosis were of medium public health significance (CFI > 1.0). It must be cautioned that, fluorosis if not monitored closely, can become an increasing public health concern.
Tan
B S
BS
Stomatology Unit, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. bsiew_tan@yahoo.com
Razak
I A
IA
Foo
L C
LC
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005457:Fluoridation; D009050:Fluorosis, Dental / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence