The Effect of Dental Fluorosis on the Quality of Life of Female High School and Precollege Students of High Fluoride-Concentrated Area

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Colored and deformed fluorotic teeth may affect the quality of life (QOL). The present study, therefore, evaluates the effect of dental fluorosis on the QOL of female high school and precollege students of Behbahan district in 2014. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred 15–18-year-old female students with dental fluorosis were selected from the high schools of Behbahan district by random cluster sampling technique. Dental fluorosis was measured clinically using Dean's index after analyzing the drinking water of the affected district. The effect of dental fluorosis on the QOL was then evaluated through a questionnaire. The data from Dean's index, condition-specific oral impact on daily performance (CS-OIDP) questionnaire, and the mean score of QOL questionnaire were analyzed in SPSS version 20 using Pearson's and Spearman's correlation analyses (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The mean values of age and the QOL regarding appearance were 16.5 years and 61.5 ± 20.8 from 100, respectively. Spearman's correlation showed a positive correlation between CS-OIDP total score and the severity of fluorosis (P = 0.0001, r = 0.342). Spearman's correlation also showed a negative correlation between the QOL and the severity of fluorosis (P < 0.001, r = −0.496) so that by increasing the severity of fluorosis, the QOL was decreasing. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the severity of fluorosis is associated with increasing the dissatisfaction and decreasing the QOL.