ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of periodontal diseases in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. This survey was conducted 14 years after the country reformed its economic structure towards the free market. Thirty villages were picked by simple random sampling from a total of 1,560 villages. Two thousand four hundred and fifty-three individuals, aged twelve and over, were interviewed about oral hygiene practice, and were examined for periodontal health status using the community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) index. Forty percent of the sample had regular practices, 56.5% occasional practices and 3.5% were ignorant about oral hygiene. Oral hygiene practices were performed in the morning by using a toothbrush (61.1%) and the index finger (24.8%). The cleaning agent was water alone for 68.6% and salt powder for 28%. The prevalence of healthy gingiva was nearly zero in all age groups. Gingival bleeding was very low. The most common periodontal problem was calculus deposits, found in 3-5 sextants of all age groups. The pocket depth was 4-5 mm on average; however a depth of more than 6 mm was not observed.
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Female , Gingiva/pathology , Humans , Laos/epidemiology , Male , Middle Aged , Oral Hygiene , Periodontal Diseases/epidemiology , Prevalence , Self CareABSTRACT
The objectives of this study were to measure dietary fluoride intake in children aged 3-7 years, to correlate dietary fluoride and fluoride content in water for use in schools and to estimate fluoride gained from the daily diet. Fifty food samples were collected in 45 schools under the jurisdiction of the Border Patrol Police Department. The schools were sampled by multiple stratified cluster random sampling. The food samples were weighed, then measured for fluoride content by a microdiffusion method. Statistical analysis was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Dietary fluoride in each age group was compared by Student's t test. Analysis for the relationship between dietary fluoride and fluoride content in water was done using Kendall's tau-b. Our results showed that the mean of dietary fluoride in lunch was 0.08 +/- 0.1 ppm. There were no differences when comparing dietary fluoride between different regions of Thailand (p = 0.07). No correlation was found between dietary fluoride and fluoride content in water used in different schools (r(tau) = 0.017, p = 0.85). The daily dietary fluoride intake in children aged 3-6 years was 0.002-0.004 mgF/kg bw/day, in children aged 7 years was 0.003-0.004 mgF/kg bw/day in boys and 0.002-0.004 mgF/kg bw/day in girls.
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Diet , Drinking , Female , Fluorides/administration & dosage , Humans , Male , Rural Population , Thailand , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to measure the fluoride content in human milk collected from mothers living in remote areas of Thailand and to correlate it with fluoride concentrations in drinking water and water for domestic use. Four to five ml of breast milk were sampled from mothers living in villages where schools under the jurisdiction of the Department of Border Patrol Police were located. The schools were sampled by Multiple Stratified Cluster Random Sampling. Fluoride was determined by microdiffusion method. Statistical analysis were made by ANOVA and LSD test. Correlation between fluoride content in milk and water was assessed by Kendall's tau-b. The mean fluoride concentration in breast milk was 0.017+/-0.02 ppm. There was no difference in breast milk fluoride concentration between regions (p=0.6). No correlation was found between breast milk fluoride content and fluoride concentrations in either drinking water or water for domestic use (r(tau) = -0.09, p = 0.32, r(tau) = -0.04, p = 0.65 respectively).
Subject(s)
Dental Caries/prevention & control , Drinking , Female , Fluorides/analysis , Humans , Infant , Male , Milk, Human/chemistry , Rural Population , Thailand , Water Supply/analysisABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to analyze fluoride content in water for drinking and for use in remote areas of Thailand. Water was sampled from schools and villages along the border by Multiple Stratified Cluster Random Sampling. Fluoride levels of 214 water samples from 48 schools and 48 villages were assessed in triplicate by fluoride ion electrode. The fluoride content in different regions and types of water were statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test at a significance level of 0.05. Results showed that fluoride in drinking water and water for use from the schools and villages were 0.01-0.37 ppm, 0.01-0.19 ppm, 0.01-0.87 ppm and 0.01-0.92 ppm, respectively. There was no difference in fluoride content in drinking water from various regions (p=0.23). However, there was a statistical difference in fluoride level in water for use (p=0.04, p=0.01) in various regions. The highest fluoride content was found in samples from the central and eastern region (0.19+/-0.24 ppm and 0.29+/-0.28 ppm respectively). When comparing types of water, ie ground water, surface water and rain water, there were differences in fluoride content (p=0.0). Underground water had the highest fluoride content (0.31+/-0.23 ppm).