Abstract
Severe dental fluorosis is endemic in some rural areas of Brazil. This paper describes the psychosocial consequences of this condition and how it has affected the self-esteem of adolescents and young people in a rural area in Brazil. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were carried out with 23 adolescents and young people affected by severe dental fluorosis and 14 of their teachers. The study revealed the affected individuals were embarrassed to smile at strangers due to a presumed association between fluorosis and a lack of dental hygiene. Further findings include conflicts between affected and non-affected students at school, problems in pursuing a romantic relationship and uncertainties regarding a professional future. Disbelief and scepticism were observed regarding the ethical position that science can offer a solution to the problems stemming from the disease. Lesions from severe dental fluorosis appear to be a stigmatizing factor and have contributed toward suffering and self-exclusion among an entire generation of adolescents and young people.
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Development of a questionnaire to measure perceptions of, and concerns derived from, dental fluorosis
OBJECTIVE: To develop a questionnaire in English and Spanish to measure concerns caused by children's (and their parents') perceptions of dental appearance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The questionnaire addressed concerns in the physical, mental, and social domains, perceptions about discolourations and other oral conditions including tooth colour. Test-retest and internal reliability,
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The aesthetic management of severe dental fluorosis in the young patient
The prevalence of dental fluorosis appears to be on the increase. Although in its mild form the condition is not considered to be of cosmetic significance, the more severe forms can cause great psychological distress to the affected individual. This article discusses the prevalence and mechanisms of dental fluorosis, and
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Aesthetically objectionable fluorosis in the United Kingdom.
OBJECTIVES: A cross-sectional national survey to explore perceptions of dental fluorosis and to determine the proportion of people regarding fluorosis as aesthetically objectionable at differing levels of defect. METHODS: A survey using a multistage stratified random probability sample of 6,000 UK adult households. Face-to-face interviews were carried out using a structured
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Impact of dental fluorosis, socioeconomic status and self-perception in adolescents exposed to a high level of fluoride in water
Objective: To identify adolescents' self-perception of dental fluorosis from two areas with different socioeconomic levels. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 15-year-old youths by applying a questionnaire designed and validated to assess self-perceptions of dental fluorosis in two areas with different socioeconomic statuses (SESs). Fluorosis was clinically evaluated by
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Decline in Dental Fluorosis Severity during Adolescence: A Cohort Study.
Dental fluorosis occurs from overingestion of fluoride during tooth formation. However, there is little evidence in the literature on whether or how fluorosis prevalence and severity change over time after tooth eruption. Permanent dentition dental examinations were conducted at ages 9, 13, 17, and 23 as part of the Iowa
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Moderate/Severe Dental Fluorosis
In its "moderate" and severe forms, fluoride causes a marked increase in the porosity of the enamel. After eruption into mouth, the porous enamel of moderate to severe fluorosis readily takes up stain, creating permanent brown and black discolorations of the teeth. In addition to extensive staining, teeth with moderate to severe fluorosis are more prone to attrition and wear - leading to pitting, chipping, and decay.
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Racial Disparities in Dental Fluorosis
In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control published the results of a national survey of dental fluorosis conducted between 1999 and 2002. According to the CDC, black children in the United States have significantly higher rates of dental fluorosis than either white or Hispanic children. This was not the first time that black children were found to suffer higher rates of dental fluorosis. At least five other studies -- dating as far back as the 1960s -- have found black children in the United States are disproportionately impacted by dental fluorosis.
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Diagnostic Criteria for Dental Fluorosis: The Thylstrup-Fejerskov (TF) Index
The traditional criteria (the "Dean Index") for diagnosing dental fluorosis was developed in the first half of the 20th century by H. Trendley Dean. While the Dean Index is still widely used in surveys of fluorosis -- including the CDC's national surveys of fluorosis in the United States -- dental
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Severe Dental Fluorosis: Perception and Psychological Impact
[caption id="attachment_8879" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Severe fluorosis - Photograph by David Kennedy, DDS[/caption] In its severe forms, dental fluorosis causes highly disfiguring brown and black staining of the teeth, which can cause chronic embarrassment and social anxiety for the impacted child. In 1984, a panel from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) warned
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Dental Fluorosis Is a "Hypo-mineralization" of Enamel
Teeth with fluorosis have an increase in porosity in the subsurface enamel ("hypomineralization"). The increased porosity of enamel found in fluorosis is a result of a fluoride-induced impairment in the clearance of proteins (amelogenins) from the developing teeth. Despite over 50 years of research, the exact mechanism by which fluoride impairs amelogin
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