J Korean Acad Oral Health.  2018 Dec;42(4):136-144. 10.11149/jkaoh.2018.42.4.136.

Factors related to the difference in the incidence of caries between children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas

• Han SJ
• Kwon YB
• Kim SY
• Kim JS
• Lee JH
• Kim JB

• KMID: 2430534
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.11149/jkaoh.2018.42.4.136

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study is to analyze the differences in factors related to the incidence of dental caries between children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas and compared the DMFT and DMFS scores to confirm the effect of water fluoridation program (WFP) in Geoje and Changwon.
METHODS
The oral health examination and questionnaire survey were conducted in fluoridated and non-fluoridatedareas. The number of surveyed children aged 8, 10, and 12 years in the fluoridated and non-fluoridatedarea of two cities was 1,524 and 1,383, respectively. Self-recorded questionnaires includedself-perception of their own dental health, daily toothbrushing frequency, intake frequency of cariogenicsweet snacks and beverages, experience of gingival bleeding, experience of unmet dental treatment,and use of oral hygiene device except for toothbrush and toothpaste. The prevalence of caries andfissure-sealant status were surveyed. The logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the differencein children's self-rated oral health status between the fluoridated and non-fluoridated area. The mean number of sealed teeth and surfaces, marginal means of the DMFT and DMFS scores adjusted for the difference in the samples' sex distribution, and region were compared between the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas.
RESULTS
In the fluoridated area, the experience rate of unmet dental treatments was higher among children aged 10 years, intake frequency of cariogenic sweet snacks and beverages were higher among the whole sample, and experience rate of professional fluoride application were lower than in the non-fluoridated area. The DMFT score for permanent dentition adjusted for differences in sex, region, and mean number of fissure-sealed teeth in the fluoridated area was significantly lower among whole samples and 8-, 10-, and 12-year-olds alone than in the non-fluoridated area.
CONCLUSIONS
WFP can alleviate oral health inequality because it is effective in reducing the incidence of caries among children is disadvantaged demographic, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts.

Keyword

Dental caries; DMFT; Oral health inequality; Fissure-sealant; Fluoride; Water fluoridation

MeSH Terms

Beverages
Child*
Dental Caries
Dentition, Permanent
Fluoridation
Fluorides
Gyeongsangnam-do
Hemorrhage
Humans
Incidence*
Logistic Models
Oral Health
Oral Hygiene
Prevalence
Sex Distribution
Snacks
Socioeconomic Factors
Tooth
Toothbrushing
Toothpastes
Vulnerable Populations
Fluorides
Toothpastes

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Cluster sampling of subjects. (A) Program, (B) Control.

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