Dental Health Status of Junior High Schools Students; Golpaygan City, Iran

Abstract

Aims Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index plays a key role in health care decisionmaking. According to WHO guideline, DMFT should not be more than 1 in 12-year old children. The role of fluoride intake in tooth and bone health is also well known. This study was carried out to investigate the DMFT index in junior high school students of Golpaygan City, Iran, and its relation the Fluoride concentration of drinking water. Instrument & Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in all 530 junior high school students of Golpaygan City, Iran, during 2010-11. The DMFT index was determined by educated and trained mouth and teeth health experts. The Fluoride concentration was measured by SPADNS method from 4 different places in 2 different times, May and June (4 samples each). Data were analyzed by statistical descriptive methods and one-way ANOVA test. Findings DMFT was 3.07±2.34 in boys and 3.28±2.56 in girls (p=0.34). There were no significant differences between boys and girls in the averages of decayed (p=0.95), missing (p=0.89) and filled (p=0.13) teeth. There was a significant difference in the DMFT value of the different age groups. There was also a significant difference between the DMFT values according to mothers’ level of education. The average of Fluoride concentration in water samples of 4 different places of the region in 2 period of times was 0.33±0.09mg/l. Conclusion DMFT index in the students of Golpaygan City, Iran, is more than WHO standards.

Keywords

• Fluoride; DMF index; Drinking Water; Dental Health Services