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.

• Related Studies :

  • The influence of various fluoride exposures on the prevalence of esthetic problems resulting from dental fluorosis

    OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the prevalence of esthetic problems due to dental fluorosis, and determine the relationship of different fluoride exposure histories to the occurrence of these problems. METHODS: In 1993-94 2,715 children in grades 2 and 3 and 3,297 adolescents in grades 8 and 9 were examined

  • Perceptions of desirable tooth color among parents, dentists and children

    BACKGROUND: As part of a large-scale fluoridation cessation study, standardized examiners assessed 8,281 school-aged children for dental fluorosis using the Thylstrup Fejerskov index, or TFI, in which scores range from 0 (no fluorosis) to 9 (severe loss of enamel with change of anatomical appearance). METHODS: Dentists, parents and children were

  • 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

  • Perceptions of dental fluorosis

    Mild dental fluorosis has long been accepted as a side-effect of water fluoridation and, more recently, has been recognized as a consequence of the use of other fluoride-based caries-preventive strategies. Traditionally, dental health professionals have not seen this as being of public health importance, but members of the public have

  • Aesthetic perceptions regarding fluorosis by children from an area of endemic fluorosis in India

    OBJECTIVES:  To assess the perceptions of and concerns regarding dental fluorosis among 12-15 year-old schoolchildren in an area where fluorosis is endemic and to find any association with Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF) scores. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN:  A cross sectional study. PARTICIPANTS:  316 children aged 12-15 years with varying level

• Related FAN Content :

  • Dental Fluorosis Impacts Dentin in Addition to Enamel

    Dental fluorosis is a mineralization defect of tooth enamel marked by increased subsurface porosity. The enamel, however, is not the only component of teeth that is effected. As several studies have demonstrated, dental fluorosis can also impair the mineralization of dentin as well. As noted in one review: "The fact that

  • Community Fluorosis Index (CFI)

    The current Community Fluorosis Index for U.S. adolescents as a whole (from both fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas) is roughly 5 times higher than the CFI health authorities predicted for fluoridated areas when fluoridation first began. It is also higher than the CFI that the NIDR found in fluoridated areas back in the 1980s. It is readily apparent, therefore, that children are ingesting far more fluoride than was the case in the 1950s, and even as recently as the 1980s.

  • Diagnostic Criteria for Dental Fluorosis: The TSIF ("Total Surface Index of Fluorosis")

    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

  • 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

  • Dental Fluorosis: The "Cosmetic" Factor

    Any condition that can cause children to be embarrassed about their physical appearance can have significant consequences on their self-esteem and confidence.  Researchers have repeatedly found that "physical appearance [is] the best predictor of self-esteem" in adolescents, (Harter 2000) and that facial attractiveness, particularly the appearance of one's teeth, is a