Evaluation of Craniofacial Morphology of Children with Dental Fluorosis in Early Permanent Dentition Period

OBJECTIVES: High intake of fluoride (>1.5 mg/L) for a prolonged period may lead to skeletal fluorosis as well as dental fluorosis. The aim of this study was to compare the craniofacial characteristics of children with dental fluorosis in early permanent dentition period to those without fluorosis. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen children in early permanent dentition (girls:121, boys:95) were included in the study. Study group was composed of 124 children with dental fluorosis who was born and grew up in Isparta (girls:75, boys:49) whereas control group of children (n=92: 46 girls and 46 boys) had no dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis was classified using Thylstrup Fejerskov Fluorosis Index. Radiological evaluation was performed by cephalometric tracing using Björk analysis. Statistical evaluation in between study and control groups was done by Independent Samples T test and comparison with Björk’s standards was done by One Sample T test analysis. The association between two quantitative variables was evaluated with Pearson’s correlation coefficient (rho). RESULTS: The mean dental fluorosis level was 4.6±1.8 for children with fluorosis. Systemic fluorosis affect girls no different than boys in the early permanent dentition period because none of the angular measurements show significant difference between boys and girls in the fluoridated group. Comparison of craniofacial angular values of boys with fluorosis show greater diversity compared to boys without fluorosis against Björk’s mean values for boys. CONCLUSIONS: Craniofacial morphology of children with fluorosis did not show great diversity than the ones without fluorosis in the early permanent dentition period. None of the angular measurements were significantly different between boys and girls in the fluoridated group which might imply that systemic fluorosis did not show gender difference in the early permanent dentition. (Eur J Dent 2009;3:304–313)