Fluoride Content of Drinking Water and Dental Caries

Objective:To determine the fluoride level of different drinking water sources and to relate this with the caries experience of the adolescents in Ibadan. Method:Sixteen samples of drinking water sources from various locations in the five local government areas of the city were analysed for fluoride concentration. The sources of water used were wells, boreholes, taps and springs. Also 955 students (aged 15-19 years) selected randomly from eleven public secondary schools in Ibadan metropolis were examined for dental caries over a period of 4-5 months using the WHO standard. Results: The fluoride level of the different water sources was between 0.02 – 0.03ppm. Forty-four (4.6%) of the children had dental caries. There was no statistical significance between DMFT and gender (t = 0.67, p = 0.91).However, females had a slightly higher mean DMFT than males. The highest mean DMFT (2.67 + 1.15) was found among 19 year old children; while the lowest (1.43 + 0.79) was seen in the 17 year olds. The association between age and DMFT was also statistically non-significant (F = 1.49, p = 0.22). Twenty-three (52.3%) of the children with caries had only one carious tooth each; while only two had four carious teeth each. The first and second molars were almost equally affected both in the upper and lower jaws. Conclusion:The study showed that both the fluoride level and caries prevalence were low. The low caries prevalence therefore may not be totally attributed to preventive benefit of fluoride in the drinking water. It may however be due to low consumption of cariogenic diets by these adolescents or availability and usage of fluoride from other sources, especially fluoridated toothpaste. It is therefore essential to consistently encourage and promote regular usage of fluoridated toothpaste among the youths.