title: Comparison of enamel defects in the primary and permanent dentitions of children from a low-fluoride District in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare developmental defects of enamel (DDE) in the primary and permanent dentitions of children from a low-fluoride district.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 517 healthy schoolchildren were examined using the modified DDE criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of DDE in the primary and permanent dentition was 25% and 58%, respectively (P<.001). The mean number of teeth with enamel opacity per subject was approximately threefold compared to that affected by enamel hypoplasia (3.1±3.8 vs 0.8±1.4, P<.001 in the primary dentition and 3.6±4.7 vs 1.2±2.2, P<.001 in the permanent dentition). Demarcated opacities (83%) were predominant compared to diffuse opacities (17%), while missing enamel was the most common type of enamel hypoplasia (50%), followed by grooves (31%) and enamel pits (19%) (P=.04). In the permanent dentition, diffuse and demarcated opacities were equally frequent, while enamel grooves were the commonest type of hypoplasia (52%), followed by missing enamel (35%) and enamel pits (5%; P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a low-fluoride community, developmental defects of enamel were twice as common in the permanent dentition vs the primary dentition. In the primary dentition, the predominant defects were demarcated opacities and missing enamel, while in the permanent dentition, the defects were more variable.
authors.affiliation: Professor and director, Centre for Paediatric Dentistry Research and Training, School of Dentistry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. k.seow@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: W Kim
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Seow
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Stauros
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kazoullis
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Holcombe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001315:Australia; D001641:Bicuspid / Q000002:abnormalities; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D003481:Cuspid / Q000002:abnormalities; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000002:abnormalities*; D003744:Dental Enamel Hypoplasia / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000002:abnormalities; D008297:Male; D008963:Molar / Q000002:abnormalities; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000002:abnormalities*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005459:Fluorides