title: Periodontal health status among permanent residents of low, optimum and high fluoride areas in Kolar District, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess and compare the periodontal health status among permanent residents of low, optimum and high fluoride areas in Kolar District, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  A house-to-house survey was conducted in a population consisting of 925 permanent residents aged 35 to 44 years in three villages having different levels of fluoride concentrations in the drinking water. The fluoride concentrations in selected villages were 0.48 ppm (low), 1.03 ppm (optimum) and 3.21 ppm (high). The ion selective electrode method was used to estimate the fluoride concentration in the drinking water. Periodontal status was assessed using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and loss of attachment (LOA). Results were analysed using the chi-square test and logistic regression. The chi-square test was used to find the group differences and logistic regression to find association between the variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of periodontitis was 72.9%; specifically, prevalences were 95.4%, 76.3% and 45.7% in low, optimum and high fluoride areas, respectively. The number of sextants with shallow or deep pockets decreased (shallow pockets: 525, 438, 217; deep pockets: 183, 81, 34) from low to high fluoride areas (odds ratio: 71.3). The low fluoride area had a 7.9-fold higher risk of periodontitis than the optimum fluoride area and a 30-fold higher risk than the high fluoride area, which was highly significant (χ2 = 53.5, P < 0.0001 and χ2 = 192.8, P < 0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The severity of periodontal disease is inversely associated with the fluoride concentrations in drinking water. This relation can provide an approach to fluoride treatments to reduce the prevalence or incidence of this disease.
authors: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Bapuji Dental College and Hospital, Davangere, Karnataka 577005, India. mgjayachandra@gmail.com
authors: Jayachandra
authors: J
authors: Megalamanegowdru
authors: Anil V
authors: AV
authors: Ankola
authors: Jagadishchandra
authors: J
authors: Vathar
authors: Prashanthkumar
authors: P
authors: Vishwakarma
authors: Kirankumar B
authors: KB
authors: Dhanappa
authors: Aswini Y
authors: AY
authors: Balappanavar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D017736:Ion-Selective Electrodes; D008297:Male; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000453:epidemiology; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000453:epidemiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D060766:Drinking Water; D009067:Mouthwashes; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides