Endemic fluorosis among 14-year-old Yemeni adolescents: an exploratory survey

To assess the extent of fluorosis in a representative sample of 14-year-old Yemeni adolescents.

A random sample of 2400 14-year-old Yemeni adolescents, equally distributed by gender, zone and locations, participated in the study. Fluorosis was identified using photographs for measuring Dean's Fluorosis Index. Water samples were taken and analysed for fluoride concentration using the ion selective electrode method at the Oral Biology laboratory, University of Malaya.

Fluorosis was found to be present in 30.8% of all subjects examined. Slightly more males (32.3%) than females (29.3%) were observed to have varying degrees of fluorosis. There were more cases with fluorosis among children in rural areas (31.9%) than urban children (29.7%). Adolescents in the south (46.9%) or east (49%) Yemen were found to have almost two times or more children with fluorosis than all other zones (North 15.2%, Central 20%, West 22.9%), the differences were significant at p = 0.0001. Fluoride concentration in natural drinking water in the study locations was found to be between 0.5-3.8 ppmF.

Findings found fluorosis to be significant among Yemeni adolescents.