Agreement between parents and adolescents on dental fluorosis : a population-based study

Abstract

This study evaluated the prevalence and severity of dental flu - orosis and compared the reports from adolescents aged 12 to 18 years with those of their parents regarding the perceptions and concerns aris - ing from this disease. The study was conducted in the cities of Viçosa and Sobral and the District of Rafael Arruda (Sobral), Ceará. A cross- sectional study was conducted from October 2010 to March 2011, with 891 students examined and 780 parents or guardians interviewed. Den - tal fluorosis was measured using the Dean’s Index, and the Child’s and Parent’s Questionnaire about Teeth Appearance was used to assess the reports from parents and adolescents. A chi-squared test for trends was used to compare the opinions of parents and adolescents about fluoro - sis, and the agreement was measured using the weighted kappa. For the dichotomous variables, we used the unweighted kappa coefficient. The prevalence of fluorosis was 29.7 % , but in the District of Rafael Arruda, evidence of very mild and mild fluorosis was found in 32.5 % of the sub - jects, and moderate and severe fluorosis was found in 28.7 % . There was poor agreement between the data reported by the adolescents and their parents or guardians regarding areas of concern and their perceived sat - isfaction with the appearance and color of their teeth. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was high in one of the communities studied, but the clini - cal diagnosis of this condition should not necessarily equate with con - cern and dissatisfaction with aesthetic appearances among teenagers and their parents