Prevalence of fluorosis in 5-12 year-old children in the north-western villages of Makoo in 2004

Fluorosis is defined as a sort of enamel hypocalcification. Clinical features of fluorosis vary from thin white lines on the enamel to chalky and opaque enamel. The enamel may be destroyed after tooth eruption. Various prevalence rates have been reported in different populations. Major contributing factors are temperature, altitude and hygienic trends. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of fluorosis in 5-12 year-old children in the North-Western villages of Makoo. A total of 58 children aged between 5 and 6, and 421 students aged between 7 and 12 from the North-Western villages of Makoo were selected. Dean Index was used to evaluate the prevalence of fluorosis in the primary and permanent dentition. To compare the severity of fluorosis in the maxilla and mandible and also to assess the coordination rate of fluorosis in the left and right sides of the jaw, TF Index was used. TSIF was used to compare fluorosis rate in different tooth surfaces. Discoloration prevalence and rate were compared between maxillary and mandibular incisors. Chi-square test and t-test were used to analyze the results. Fluorosis rate in the primary and permanent dentition was 100%. According to TF Index, the highest coordination rate was observed in mandibular incisors and the least was observed in maxillary second molars. The difference in the severity of fluorosis between maxilla and mandible was statistically significant [p < 0.05]. Discoloration rate increased in maxillary central incisors with age. Very high prevalence rate of fluorosis in the primary and permanent teeth in the North-West of Makoo revealed a major regional problem; therefore, preventive strategies such as informing people of improper use of fluoride-containing supplements and reduction of the fluoride content of drinking water are suggested

Evaluation of x-ray protection methods used in dental offices in Tabriz in 2005-2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate x-ray protection methods in dental offices in Tabriz. In this study 142 dental offices were evaluated. A questionnaire-based method was used. The data was analyzed by descriptive methods. The least commonly used methods were leaded walls [4.9%] and film badges [16.9%] and the most commonly used methods were lead partitions [67.6%] and position-distance rule [68.3%]. The most commonly used patient protection devices were E-speed films [84.5%] and long collimators [66.2%]. The least commonly used methods, in this respect, were automatic processors [2.1%] and rectangular collimators [0%]. Regarding protection methods for the patient, results did not conform to international standards. Mostly, manual processing was used, resulting in extra radiation dose to patients. The methods which reduce the received dose of patients were disregarded in offices compared to educational centers, necessitating optimization of educational programs in these fields

effect of 0.2% sodium fluoride mouthwash in prevention of dental caries according to the DMFT index

Dental caries still remains a major problem in the field of oral and dental health and its prevention is more important than its treatment. Fluoride plays a significant role in prevention of caries, and improving oral and dental health. One of the common ways of fluoride use is the use of a fluoride-containing mouthwash, the most important of which in use is 0.2% sodium fluoride mouthwash. School-based fluoride mouthwash programs have been used for delivering oral and dental health to children in recent years. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficiency of 0.2% sodium fluoride mouthwash in prevention of dental caries according to DMFT index. The study included a case and a control group. For each group, 100 students were selected randomly from elementary schools of Tabriz, Iran. Case group had been participating in school-based fluoride mouthwash program for three years, while control group did not benefit from the program. The two groups were assessed by means of intra-oral examination. Data was recorded using DMFT index. Following the use of 0.2% sodium fluoride mouthwash, mean DMFT index in case group decreased as much as 51.5% compared to that of control group. The mean values of decrease for the decayed, missing and filled indices were 45%, 44% and 59%, respectively. The decrease in DMFT value of the case group compared to that of control group was statistically significant [p < 0.001]. A statistically significant decrease was seen in the decayed and filled indices of case group [p=0.042 and p=0.016, respectively], however the missing index did not show any statistically significant difference between the two groups [p=0.361]. According to this study results, the weekly use of 0.2% sodium fluoride mouthwash program has been successful in elementary schools of Tabriz. Such program can play an important role in the improvement of oral and dental health among children of school age

Influence of the display monitor on observer performance in detection of dental caries

Digital imaging continues to gain acceptance in dentistry and video display used for this becomes important. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the display monitor on observer performance on caries detection. Artificial enamel lesions were created in 40 extracted teeth at random using 1/4 and 1/2 round burs. Teeth were mounted in dental stone blocks to simulate a hemi-dentition. Approximate exposures were recorded at 70 kVp using a Planmeca [Planmeca Co, Helsinki, Finland] digital imaging system. Three oral and maxillofacial radiologists rated each image on a five-point scale for the presence or absence of lesion. Radiographic images were viewed on the following monitors: [1] LG Flatron 700p [LG Electronics Co., South Korea]; [2] Samsung Magicgreen [Samsung Electronics Corp., South Korea]; [3] Hansol 710p [Hansol Electronics Corp., South Korea] and [4] Toshiba satellite laptop [Toshiba Computer Corp., Philippines]. Examiners were allowed to magnify and adjust density and contrast of each image at will. Receiver Operating Characteristic [ROC] analysis was performed. Data was subjected to repeated measures analysis of variance and ordinal logistic regression to test for significance between variables and to determine odds ratios. Mean ROC curve areas ranged from 0.8728 for the LG monitor to 0.8395 for the Samsung. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed significant differences between observers [P < 0.0001], lesion size [P < 0.0001], examiner/monitor interaction [P < 0.033] and examiner/block interaction [P < 0.013]. However, no significant difference was found between monitors. This study suggests that observer performance is independent of the visual characteristics of the display monitor