FLUOROSIS OF DECIDUOUS TEETH AND 1ST PERMANENT MOLARS IN A RURAL KENYAN COMMUNITY

The severity and distribution of fluorosis in the deciduous dentition of 76 children in a low-income community near Nairobi were studied. Seventeen children comprised a low-F (fluoride) group (water < 0.7 ppm F) and 59 a high-F group (water almost-equal-to 9 ppm F). The high-F group had scores greater-than-or-equal-to 5 in the Thylstrup & Fejerskov classification system for 29% of the deciduous tooth surfaces, compared with 7% in the low-F group. Comparison between the scores of the second deciduous and the first permanent molars showed no significant difference in the high-F group (p > 0.10), whereas the deciduous molar was significantly less severely affected in the low-F group (p < 0.001). The deciduous molars of the two groups differed significantly (p < 0.002), but not the permanent molars (p < 0.10). Early introduction of tea might have been a major contributor to the distributions of fluorosis, particularly in the low-F group.