0249 Enamel Fluorosis, Non-Fluoride Opacities, and Caries Among Norwegian Children
D. PENDRYS1, O. HAUGEJORDEN2, A. BÅRDSEN2, N.J. WANG2, and F. GUSTAVSEN3, 1University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, USA, 2University of Bergen, Norway, 3University of Bergen

Objectives: This international collaborative, population-based investigation reports the relationship between enamel fluorosis, non-fluoride opacities, and caries among Norwegian children, who used fluoride under protocols similar to the most recent U.S. protocols. Methods: As part of an ongoing case-control study, 1847 school-based examinations were conducted in Bergen, Norway by two calibrated examiners, using the Fluorosis Risk Index (FRI) to assess fluorosis and non-fluoride opacities, and modified NIDCR caries criteria, with teeth lightly dried. Logistic regression and ANOVA were used for the initial analyses presented. Results: Mean age was 12.7±1.2 years; 49% were female. Examiner agreement on FRI classification I (early forming) and classification II (later forming) enamel surface zones was respectively as follows. For fluorosis: intra-examiner was 98.1% and 97.2%; inter-examiner was 88.0% and 91.4%; for non-fluoride opacities: intra-examiner was 99.1% and 100%; inter-examiner was 96.4% and 98.8%. Intra- and inter-examiner intra-class correlation estimates for DMFS were 0.81 and 0.82 (94% & 91% agreement respectively on DMFS free). 37% of subjects showed signs of fluorosis, 4% of mild or greater severity; 22% of subjects had non-fluoride opacities. Subjects with fluorosis had a lower mean DMFS compared to those fluorosis free (1.62±2.64 and 2.49±3.12, respectively on FRI II surfaces, p<0.05); and higher proportion DMFS free (55.2% and 40.6% respectively, p<0.05). Subjects with non-fluoride opacities had a higher mean DMFS compared to opacity free subjects (3.25±3.26 and 1.56±2.39, respectively on FRI I surfaces; p<0.05); and lower proportion DMFS free (25.3% vs 53.3%, respectively, p<0.05). Conclusions: Adjusted for each other, age, gender, eruption status, and orthodontic banding, the presence of enamel fluorosis was associated with lower DMFS; the presence of non-fluoride opacities was associated with higher DMFS. This work was supported by NIDCR grant DE13671 with additional support from Meltzer College Fund, project no. 480171.

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