Impact of dental fluorosis on the oral health related quality of life among 11- to 14-year-old school children in endemic fluoride areas of Haryana (India)

Psychometric Properties of the Iowa Fluoride Study Oral Health Questionnaire in Mexican Adolescents

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

The perception of quality of life about health status is subjective; assessment of the impact includes well-being while eating, speaking, smiling, interacting with others, and feeling good about the esthetic appearance of teeth and mouth. The objective of the present study was to cross-culturally adapt and determine the validity and reliability of the Mexican version of the Iowa Fluoride Study Oral Health for adolescents.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 240 Mexican adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. The questionnaire was translated, back-translated, and administered through the Google Forms platform. The cultural adaptation consisted of the evaluation of the grammatical, conceptual, and linguistic equivalences. The evaluation of the utility and acceptability was carried out through an analysis of semantic equivalence. The utility of the questionnaire was also evaluated by analyzing its grammatical readability. Reliability tests, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), factor analysis, and Pearson's correlation were performed.

RESULTS

The mean age of all participants was 16.4±1.4; 65.3% (n=158) were female. Face validity was considered adequate. The wording of the objective and instructions of the questionnaire were improved. The confidentiality assurances were highlighted. The questions were clear, understandable, and pertinent, and they showed adequate syntax. The INFLESZ index corresponds to a "fairly easy" level of readability. In the quantitative validation, the correlation of items was greater than 0.4. The KMO was 0.930 (p=0.001), and Bartlett sphericity was 2466.5 (p=0.001). Through the exploratory factorial analysis, we evaluated the emotional well-being (12 items), social welfare (five items), and oral symptoms (OS) (three items) dimensions. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α=0.942).

CONCLUSION

The culturally translated and adapted questionnaire is valid and reliable for use in research on Mexican adolescents.

Impact of oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life among Indians- a systematic review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This review assessed the impact of oral conditions on Oral Health Related Quality of Life among Indians.

METHODS

Databases, including PubMed and Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycInfo were systematically searched for English Language studies conducted among Indians up to July 2022. Two independent reviewers assessed studies selected for retrieval for methodological quality using standardised quality assessment instruments for analytical cross-sectional studies in JBI SUMARI.

RESULTS

Fourty one publications were included in this review (N = 23,090). Studies includes both cross sectional study and Randomized Controlled Trials. Based on the JBI critical appraisal tools, the quality of the included studies was low to high. Twenty-six studies were considered for the meta-analysis. Individuals with dental caries [OR: 3.54 (95% CI 2.24- 5.60), ten studies, 4945 participants] and malocclusion [ OR: 5.44 (95% CI 1.61, 18.39), six studies, 3720 participants] had poor OHRQoL compared to individuals without oral conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the various definitions of the exposures and instruments used to assess Oral Health-Related Quality of Life, our review found that people with dental caries and malocclusion have a significantly higher experience of poor quality of life.

PROSPERO SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NO

CRD42021277874.

Impact of dental fluorosis on the oral health related quality of life of adolescents in an endemic area

Introduction

Oral diseases and conditions affect the physical, social, and psychological well-being of an individual. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the severity of dental fluorosis and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among 15-year-old school children residing in an endemic area for dental fluorosis in Sri Lanka.

Design

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 989, 15-year-old school children who were lifetime residents of Kurunegala district. A validated Sinhala version of the Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ 11-14) was used to assess OHRQoL. Dental fluorosis was assessed using the Thylstrup and Ferjeskov index (TF index) while dental caries and malocclusion were assessed using the WHO Basic Methods and Dental Aesthetics Index (DAI) respectively. In addition, information pertaining to parental level of education, type of toothpaste used, frequency of toothbrushing and use of dental services was also gathered.

Results

The prevalence of dental fluorosis was 52%. The overall prevalence of impacts based on the CPQ was 38.2%. The severity of dental fluorosis was not significantly associated with the overall prevalence of impacts. However, the severity of dental fluorosis was significantly associated with three oral impacts namely "having pain in teeth, lips, jaws, or mouth", "felt irritable or frustrated" and "other children teased or called names". According to the multiple logistic regression analysis, use of dental services and moderate to severe malocclusion were significantly associated with poor OHRQoL but not dental fluorosis.

Conclusion

The severity of dental fluorosis was not associated with OHRQoL of the participants.

Fluoridated water impact on tooth decay and fluorosis in 17-20-year-olds exposed to fluoride toothpaste

OBJECTIVE

To determine the impact of water fluoridation on the prevalence and severity of dental caries and fluorosis in individuals aged 17-20 years exposed to fluoride toothpaste.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 660 students from public schools, residents of areas supplied with fluoridated water (exposed group) or not (not exposed group). Students from both groups had access to fluoride toothpaste throughout life. A questionnaire about socioeconomic demographic aspects, conditions related to access and exposure to fluoridated water, and habits related to oral health was applied. Dental caries was measured by the DMFT index and dental fluorosis by the TF index. The chi-square test, t test, and subsequently logistic regression were applied for data analysis.

RESULTS

Caries experience (DMFT≠0) was significantly higher in students from areas not exposed to fluoridated water, after adjustments to clinical conditions, demographic socioeconomic profile, and hygiene habits. The DMFT mean (±SD) was significantly higher in students from areas not exposed to fluoridated water than exposed (3.83 [±3.28] and 2.48 [±2.71] respectively). The prevalence of very mild/mild and moderate fluorosis was 41.1% and 21% for students either exposed to fluoridated water or not, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to fluoridated water was associated with a lower prevalence and severity of tooth decay, in spite of the use of fluoridated toothpaste. The prevalence of dental fluorosis at all levels was higher in fluoridated areas, however, in both groups, there were few cases with esthetic implications.

Clinical changes in the severity of dental fluorosis: a longitudinal evaluation

BACKGROUND

Dental fluorosis (DF) has been one of the most prevalent pediatric dental conditions associated with aesthetic concern and treatment needs. This study aimed to identify the longitudinal clinical change in the severity of DF in 8-12-year-old children and its association with gender, age, severity, and tooth type.

METHODS

This observational study assessed the dental aspects of the 92 Colombian children in 2015 (mean age at beginning 9.71 years ± 1.23) and 2018 (mean age 13.69 years ± 1.41), from an area with high DF prevalence. DF was recorded in all permanent teeth by two calibrated examiners using the Thylstrup and Fejerskov Index (TFI). DF severity change (maximum-TFI-score) was analyzed with descriptive analysis at the tooth level. Associated factors were evaluated with the generalized linear model, binomial family, and logarithmic link function.

RESULTS

TFI scores ranged between 1 (very mild) to 6 (severe), being score 2 (41.7%) the most prevalent. After three years, 29.6% of the teeth presented score reduction, 24.1%, increased and 46.3% did not change; the significant association was related to increasing of the basal TFI = 1 score (44.2%) (RR = 9.7; 95% CI 1.7-56.5; p = 0.01) and with canines, premolars and second-permanent-molars teeth group (RR = 3.3; 95% CI 1.9-5.6; p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

The present study based on clinical features about DF confirms the dynamic post-eruptive nature of this condition. After three years of follow-up, a considerable proportion of the teeth changed to a higher score. Furthermore, the canines, premolars, and second-permanent-molars showed a higher incidence of an increase in severity of TFI score.