Dental Fluorosis Among 12-Year-olds in Guangdong, South China

Objectives: To explore the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among 12-year-olds in Guangdong Province, south China.
Methods: An equal sized stratified multistage randomly sampling design was applied to obtain a provincially representative sample group consisted of 1920 Guangdong residents at aged 12, with a gender ratio of half to half. The status of dental fluorosis in all permanent teeth were assessed according to The Guideline for the 4th National Oral Health Survey, thereafter the prevalence and severity (community dental fluorosis index) of dental fluorosis were calculated. The data obtained were analyzed using SAS package.
Results: In the population of aged 12, the prevalence of dental fluorosis was 5.1%, and the community dental fluorosis index was 0.11, with no gender divergence, but there was geographical difference between urban and countryside. The prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis are more serious in urban than that in countryside.
Conclusions: Both prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among Guangdong population are more serious in urban. However, they both remain at a low level.