Prevalence and perception of dental fluorosis among the school-going children and its impact on academic performance

Abstract

Aim: The prevalence of dental fluorosis in Southern India has been reported to be on higher side. In Madurai district, Tamil Nadu, the dental fluorosis incidence among 13–15-year-old school children was observed at 87.7%. The aim of the present investigation is to analyze the prevalence of dental fluorosis among 12–14-year-old school-going children and understand its impact on their academic performance. Materials and Methods: A total 693 students from four different schools were screened for dental fluorosis and severity using Thylstrup–Fejerskov index. Students' academic performance, class attendance, awareness about the condition, esthetic perception about dental fluorosis, and friends' attitude toward their teeth were evaluated. Nonparametric Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were employed to assess the influence of dental fluorosis presence on the academic performance. Results: Four hundred and thirteen (59.6%) students had dental fluorosis, and the mean number of teeth affected was 4.15 ± 1.70. Significantly (P < 0.05), marks obtained in each subject, average total marks scored in the last examination, and class attendance percentage were lower in individuals with dental fluorosis. Conclusions: School performance getting significantly affected by the presence of dental fluorosis needs to be further investigated in a controlled environment. Brown stains in dental fluorosis were considered to be of esthetic concern than white opacities among the children.

Keywords

• dental fluorosis
• esthetic perception of dental fluorosis
• school academic performance
• thylstrup–fejerskov index