Abstract

How the fluoridated water is related to prevalence of caries in a Chilean preschool population. Raul Palacio1 2, Christopher R.Vernazza1 2, Jing Shen2, Jimmy G. Steele1 2, Luke Vale2 1School of Dental Sciences & 2Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University.UK Background: Existing studies have found a difference in caries prevalence among Chilean regions. Further studies are required to determinate the factors associated with this difference. Aim: This study aims to examine the relationship between water fluoridation and the prevalence of caries, controlling for socioeconomic status and other risk indicators. Design: The data used in this research are based on a cross-sectional study directed by the Chilean Ministry of Health. This dataset contains a clinical examination of 1600 4-year-olds children and a parental completed questionnaire carried out in 2010. Variables used in the analysis include socioeconomic status, oral health behaviours, and the coverage of fluoridated water by counties in 2010. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to investigate the relationship between the variables and prevalence of caries. The dependent variable was the decayed, missing and filled index (dmft). Results: The presence of fluoridated water was highly significant (p<0.001) and had an OR of 0.3 (IC95 0.2-0.4). Educational level of head of household and dependency of school (private, subsidised or public) showed statistically significantly differences indicating that children with a lower risk of caries were those who attended private schools and those with a more educated head of house. Other significant variables were mother's number of teeth, frequency of toothbrushing, autonomy of toothbrushing, drinking sugary liquids before bed, previous dentist experience and perceived need for treatment. Conclusions: The nonexistence of fluoridated water was the most significant predictor of caries prevalence. These findings will allow better targeting of preschool population in future studies.