Differential diagnosis of dental fluorosis made by undergraduate dental students

OBJECTIVE: To check knowledge of undergraduate dental students to make diagnosis of dental fluorosis with varying degrees of severity and choose its appropriate treatment. METHODS: Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire addressing knowledge of undergraduates based on ten images of mouths presenting enamel changes. RESULTS: Only three images were correctly diagnosed by most undergraduates; the major difficulty was in establishing dental fluorosis severity degree. CONCLUSION: Despite much information about fluorosis conveyed during the Dentistry training, as defined in the course syllabus, a significant part of the students was not able to differentiate it from other lesions; they did not demonstrate expertise as to defining severity of fluorosis and indications for treatment, and could not make the correct diagnosis of enamel surface changes.