Prevalence and Severity of Dental Fluorosis in the United States, 1999-2004 - Number 53 - November 2010

NCHS Data Brief
Number 53, November 2010
Prevalence and Severity of Dental Fluorosis in the United States, 1999-2004
Eugenio D. Beltrán-Aguilar, D.M.D., M.S., Dr.P.H.; Laurie Barker, M.S.P.H.; and Bruce A. Dye, D.D.S., M.P.H.

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http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db53.pdf

Key findings

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2004 and the 1986-1987 National Survey of Oral Health in U.S. School Children

* Less than one-quarter of persons aged 6-49 in the United States had some form of dental fluorosis.
* The prevalence of dental fluorosis was higher in adolescents than in adults and highest among those aged 12-15.
* Adolescents aged 12-15 in 1999-2004 had a higher prevalence of dental fluorosis than adolescents aged 12-15 in 1986-1987.

Dental fluorosis refers to changes in the appearance of tooth enamel that are caused by long-term ingestion of fluoride during the time teeth are forming (1). Studies conducted in the 1930s showed that the severity of tooth decay was lower and dental fluorosis was higher in areas with more fluoride in the drinking water (2). In response to these findings, community water fluoridation programs were developed to add fluoride to drinking water to reach an optimal level for preventing tooth decay, while limiting the chance of developing dental fluorosis (3). By the 1980s, studies in selected U.S. communities reported an increase in dental fluorosis (4,5), paralleling the expansion of water fluoridation and the increased availability of other sources of ingested fluoride, such as fluoride toothpaste (if swallowed) and fluoride supplements (6). This report describes the prevalence of dental fluorosis in the United States and changes in the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among adolescents between 1986-1987 and 1999-2004.

Keywords: children, dental public health, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, National Survey of Oral Health in U.S. School Children

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Products - Data Briefs - Number 53 - November 2010


Products - Data Briefs - Number 53 - November 2010