A SURVEY OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRINKING WATER FLUORIDE CONCENTRATION AND DMFT INDEX IN GUIDANCE SCHOOL STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY PIRANSHAHR AND POLDASHT, WEST AZARBAYJAN

Fluoride is an important mineral in the prevention of dental caries (decay). Most
parts of received fluoride of human body are obtained by drinking. In this research, the relationship
between fluoride sources of drinking water and DMFT index of West Azerbaijan’s Piranshahr and
Poldasht guidance schools were studied.
Materials & Methods: In a cross-sectional study using a random sample, DMFT index according to
the World Health Organization (WHO) on 145 patients of Piranshahr schools (75 male, 70 female) and
130 guidance school students of Poldasht town (65 boys and 65 girls) who were from birth until they
all lived in the same area, were examined with mirror and explorer in natural light. For data collection,
a questionnaire containing demographic data and severity of fluorosis were classified according to
Dean collection. Piranshahr and Poldasht amount of fluoride in drinking water was obtained from
Water and Sewage Companies of the cities. In order to investigate the relationship between the
fluoride concentration of drinking water and DMFT index in these schools students, linear regression
test was used.
Results: The average concentration of fluoride in drinking water sources in Piranshahr was obtained 1
milligram per liter (at least 0.015 and maximum value was 0.185 milligrams per liter) while this value
for Poldasht town was obtained about 2.35 milligram per liter (at least 1.36 and maximum 4 mg/l).
The results of this study showed a weak relationship between fluoride concentrations and DMFT index
in Piranshahr students (correlation coefficient of less than 0.035), while this value for Poldasht
students was found higher (correlation coefficient 0.575).
Conclusion: The results of this research show that, there isn’t any meaningful relation between
fluoride concentration of drinking water sources and DMFT index in studied students. Dental decays
in these regions can be caused by other factors such as: oral and dental health, using mouthwash and
also lifestyle that should be studied.