A blind caries and fluorosis prevalence study of school-children in naturally fluoridated and nonfluoridated townships of Morayshire, Scotland

Objectives: To undertake a blind caries and fluorosis prevalence study of Grade 1 (aged 5/6 yr) and Grade 4–7 (aged 8–12 yr) children from naturally water‐fluoridated (1 ppm, since 1985) Burghead, Findhorn & Kinloss (F), and nearby nonfluoridated Buckie & Portessie (N‐F), in rural Morayshire, Scotland. Methods: A blind clinical (+ 10% repeats) caries study of the above townships' 5/6‐yr‐old lifetime (15 F; 43 N‐F), and 8–12‐yr‐old lifetime (55 F; 136 N‐F)/school‐lifetime (31 F; 37 N‐F) residents was undertaken following bussing of these children to a common examination site in close‐by Elgin Town Hall. Initially, each child was asked about their own perception of the aesthetics of their maxillary front teeth. Fluorosis was assessed clinically using the TF Index, as well as photographically − for later blind scoring (+ 10% repeats for lifetime 8–12‐yr‐olds) of slides by four dental and two lay ‘jurors’, alongside a now‐established UK ‘bench‐mark’ mildly mottled (TFI = 2), fluorosis comparator slide, judged in previous studies to be aesthetically lay‐acceptable. In addition, by parental questionnaire, information was sought concerning their child's fluoride supplement and dentifrice usage histories. Results: For 5/6‐yr‐olds, mean primary caries scores were 96.0% less in fluoridated than nonfluoridated subjects (P 2 was scored unanimously in no child. No differences were found regarding the children's own degree of anterior tooth aesthetic nonacceptability between F (11%) and N‐F (12%) prevalence (P = 0.75). Finally, only one F child had taken F supplements and, while 26 N‐F had used F drops, no significant relationship w