ABSTRACT
A total of 11205 and 7416 subjects (both sexes) belonging to different ethnic groups viz., Scheduled tribes (S.T.), Scheduled castes (S.C.) and General Castes (G.C.) of Dungarpur and Udaipur districts of Southern Rajasthan (India), respectively were examined for evidence of dental and skeletal fluorosis and observed the relative prevalence and severness of fluoride (F) toxicity in these ethnic groups. An overall and the highest prevalence of dental and skeletal fluorosis (69.0% and 27.7% respectively) were observed in the subjects of S.T. followed by 57.2% and 20.8% in S.C. and 38.6% and 9.3% in G.C. ethnic group. The severity of fluorosis in these groups have also been observed. The severity of dental fluorosis was found 28.1% in S.T., 24.6% in S.C. and 22.0% in G.C. whereas, the severity of skeletal fluorosis varied from 54.2% in S.T., 46.2% in S.C. to 32.6%, in G.C. These data were also analysed statistically and found to be highly positive correlation (r = + 1.00; p<0.001). The variation in the prevalence of fluorosis in these ethnic groups is related with the variation in the fluoride exposure through nutritional components of diet and feeding habits. X-rays of different regions of the tribal subjects (S.T.) also showed the maximum calcification in the ligaments and interosseous membranes as well as increased mass and density of bones. These radiological changes were less sever in the individuals of G.C. Besides, the F concentration, the water quality (alkalinity, total hardness, pH, NO3 etc.) is also influence and accelerate the prevalence and severness of fluorosis which has also been focussed in the present communication.