OBJECTIVE: to find out the prevalence of dental fluorosis in 12-year-old schoolchildren in Ouro Preto. METHODOLOGY: cross-sectional study including 248 children randomly selected from 11 schools in the town. The sample was calculated according to the methodology described in Project SB2000. Exams were undertaken by a trained and calibrated dentist. Dental fluorosis was evaluated by the Dean index and index of community fluorosis. RESULTS: 159 (64.1%) children, among the 248 who were selected, participated in the study. The prevalence of fluorosis (Dean index) found was 11.4%, and it was found to be a very mild (10.1%) or mild (1.3%) condition. Moderate and severe fluorosis were not found. The teeth most affected by fluorosis were pre-molars, molars, incisors and canines. There was no difference between genders as to the degree of fluorosis, and the index of community fluorosis was 0.29. CONCLUSION: fluorosis in 12 year-old children is not a public dental health problem in Ouro Preto, as the prevalence is not high and nearly all cases are very mild.
Dental fluorosis; Schoolchildren; Oral health; Epidemiology
