Prevalence of Arrested Caries in Three Areas of South India with Different Groundwater Fluoride Levels: An Epidemiological Study

BACKGROUND: Dental caries, though a progressive disease, if intervened early may become arrested, provided there is a change in the oral environment. One such factor which may lead to caries arrest is prolonged exposure to naturally available groundwater fluoride. AIM: The aim of the study is to know the prevalence of arrested caries in three geographical areas with different levels of fluoride in groundwater and to attribute if there is any correlation between the natural high fluoride levels in groundwater and the prevalence of arrested caries. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study is conducted on schoolchildren residing in three geographical areas of south India with high, moderate, and low groundwater fluoride levels. A total of 5,982 children, from all the three regions between the age-groups 5-9 years, are examined and 1,514 children with caries are included in the study. The teeth and surfaces with active and arrested caries are identified and recorded in a structured pro forma. All the data obtained was tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of arrested carious lesions is found to be significantly higher in areas with high groundwater fluoride level when compared to the other two areas. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the progression of caries in children residing in areas with high groundwater fluoride level is slow and gets arrested early in the presence of a high amount of fluoride. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Mudusu SP, Jampanapally SR, Konda S, et al. Prevalence of Arrested Caries in Three Areas of South India with Different Groundwater Fluoride Levels: An Epidemiological Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(S-2):S186-S190.