Effect of Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water on Dental Fluorosis in Southwest Saudi Arabia

Gotam Das, Vineet Tirth, Suraj Arora, Ali Algahtani, Mohammed Kafeel, Ayed Hassan G Alqarni, Priyanka Saluja, Hitesh Vij, Shashit Shetty Bavabeedu and Amit Tirth
Additional contact information
Gotam Das: Department of Prosthodontics, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Vineet Tirth: Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering & Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Suraj Arora: Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Ali Algahtani: Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering & Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Mohammed Kafeel: Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Ayed Hassan G Alqarni: Intern, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Priyanka Saluja: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, JCD Dental College, Vidyapeeth, Sirsa 125055, Haryana, India
Hitesh Vij: Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
Shashit Shetty Bavabeedu: Restorative Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, King Khalid University, Abha 61411, Saudi Arabia
Amit Tirth: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Kothiwal Dental College and Research Center, Moradabad, 244001 UP, India

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: This study was intended to evaluate the fluoride concentration in drinking water and its effect on dental fluorosis in Southwest Saudi Arabia. Water samples were gathered rom wells, filtration plants and commercial brands (bottled water) in distinct urban and rural areas of Asir region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Overall, 63 water samples were collected from 12 locations and 9 brands of bottled water. ExStik ® FL700Fluoridemeter was used in the analysis of water samples for fluoride levels. The total number of screened patients for dental fluorosis, aged between 9 and 50 years, was 1150; among them, 609 were males and 541 were females. Dean’s index criteria were used to examine the patients for dental fluorosis. The results revealed that fluoride levels varied between 0.03 and 3.8 ppm. People who drank well water displayed increased fluoride levels (>0.81 ppm). The prevalence of dental fluorosis was established to be 20.43% among the total number of examined patients. The findings of this study show very mild to moderate dental fluorosis prevail among the patients who consume well water in the Asir region.

Keywords: fluoride levels; drinking water; dental fluorosis; well water; bottled water; filtered water (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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