1645 Impact of dental fluorosis on well-being of children’s by their parent's perception in a pediatric dental practice in Mexico City
J.L. UREÑA-CIRETT1, E.A. MARTÍNEZ-MIER2, G. MAUPOME3, and A.E. SOTO-ROJAS1, 1Universidad Intercontinental, Mexico City, Mexico, 2Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, USA, 3Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, USA

Objective: To assess the relationship between dental fluorosis (DF) and the esthetic perceptions of parents of the children who present it. Methods: Dental fluorosis may have an impact on personal well being (WB) because it affects appearance of teeth and face from an esthetic point of view. A questionnaire to measure impact of DF on WB was applied to parents of children ages 7 to 12 years that attended a pediatric dental practice. This included questions to assess self-representation of psychological WB caused by perceptions of dental appearance of their children and one question that differentiated among esthetic concerns derived from DF to conditions, such as, crowding, caries and periodontal disease. Front teeth were evaluated for DF using TSIF index. Parent's answers to questions regarding their children's WB were correlated with DF. Results: 28 parents answered the questionnaire, 32% and 82 % of the parents reported at least occasionally experiencing distress or being worried, respectively, because of the appearance of their children's teeth. 18% thought that it hindered their children from smiling freely, 54% reported crowding in their children's teeth and 39%reported them as unsatisfactory. 39% reported presence of stains in children's teeth, compatible with DF. 71% of children had DF (TSIF >1); 64% had crowding of teeth Unpleasant color of children's teeth was reported by 11%. There was a significant correlation between presence of DF in the children's teeth and parent's reported concerns (p < 0.05). Conclusion: For this sample of parents who attend this practice, perceptions of DF in their children's teeth appear to have an impact on their WB.

Seq #154 - Fluorides and Fluorosis
9:00 AM-11:00 AM, Friday, 8 March 2002 San Diego Convention Center Room 1A (Upper Level)

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