PREVALENCE OF DENTAL FLUOROSIS AND ITS RE LATION WITH FLUORIDE CONTENT OF COMMUNAL DRINKING-WATER

The prevalence of dental fluorosis, a manifestation of chronic fluorid e toxicity on ameloblasts, is increasing in communities with or withou t fluoride supplementation of drinking water. The aim of this work was to study the prevelence and severity of fluorosis in Chile and its re lationship to socioeconomic level and fluoride content of drinking waf er. Six hundred ninety three children aged 7 to 12 years old, coming f rom four cities with drinking water fluoride levels of 0, 0.3, 1 and 2 .2 ppm were subjected to a standardized odontological examination look ing for clinical manifestations of fluorosis. The global prevalence of fluorosis was 32%, being 61,4% in the city with the highest drinking water fluoride concentration and 20% in the city without fluoride in t he drinking water. Likewise, the prevalence of fluorosis was higher in children of high socioeconomic level. If is concluded that the high p revalence of fluorosis, although generating only mild lesions, should be object of epidemiological surveillance