Knowledge percepction and risk practices about dental flurosis of mothers living in an endemic fluorosis area

OBJECTIVE To identify knowledge, perception and risk practices regarding dental fluorosis of mothers living in an endemic fluorosis area. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in a convenience sample of mothers living in a rural endemic fluorosis area of Mexico. A structured questionnaire about the perception, knowledge and risk practices regarding dental fluorosis was applied. RESULTS A total of 178 mothers participated. Mean age 31.09 (SD 6.9), 15.1% had no studies, 57.9% elementary or middle school, and the rest high school or college (27%). Knowledge: 59.4% of the mothers have heard the term “dental fluorosis”, 39.3% mentioned they knew its cause. Mothers identified products such as: tooth paste (80.3%), salt (61.5%), and tap water (52.2%) as having fluoride. Perception: Most of the mothers (85.8%) did not consider having spots in their childrenxs teeth would be a normal condition; 50.7 % would felt very uncomfortable with the presence of these spots, and 54.4% agree that their children were at risk of developing spots in their new teeth. Risk practices: 54.9% used tap water to cook,75.6% used fluoridated salt to cook, 51.8% always supervised childrenxs tooth brushing; 64.8% applied a high amount of tooth paste. Lower educational level was associated with fluorosis risk practices (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS In general, mothers perceive dental fluorosis as a negative condition. They did not associate it with excessive consumption of fluoride. Fluorosis risk practices were present in the majority of the mothers, and these practices were more frequently found among those mothers with lower educational level.