Water fluoridation, dental caries and parental ratings of child oral health

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dc.contributor.authorFoley, M.A.
dc.contributor.authorSexton, C.
dc.contributor.authorSpencer, A.J.
dc.contributor.authorLalloo, R.
dc.contributor.authorDo, L.G.
dc.date.issued2022
dc.descriptionFirst published: 12 September 2021
dc.description.abstractObjectives: Previous studies have identified many demographic, socioeconomic, behavioural and clinical variables associated with subjective parental ratings of child oral health. This study investigated associations between children's lifetime exposure to fluoridated drinking water (LEFW) and dental caries prevalence and parental ratings. Methods: Australia's National Child Oral Health Study 2012–2014 conducted oral epidemiological examinations for 24 664 children aged 5–14 and investigated risk factors for child oral health and disease through questionnaires. Parents also subjectively rated their child's oral health. This cross-sectional study estimated prevalence ratios for associations between LEFW and prevalence of dental caries in the primary and permanent dentitions and parental oral health ratings for 5–8 year old and 9–14 year old children. E-value sensitivity analyses helped assess whether observed effect sizes may have arisen through unmeasured confounding. Results: Children aged 5–8 with 0%–10% or 11%–89% LEFW are respectively 1.5 (95% CI 1.2–1.8) and 1.5 (95% CI 1.1–2.0) times more likely than children with 90%–100% LEFW to receive a fair or poor parental oral health rating. Children aged 9–14 with 0%–10% or 11%–89% LEFW are 1.2 (95% CI 1.0–1.4) times more likely than children with 90%–100% LEFW to receive a fair or poor parental oral health rating. Children aged 5–8 with 0%–10% or 11%–89% LEFW are respectively 1.4 (1.3–1.6) and 1.3 (95% CI 1.1–1.4) times more likely than children with 90%–100% LEFW to experience caries in their primary teeth. Children aged 9–14 with 0%–10% or 11%–89% LEFW are respectively 1.4 (95% CI 1.3–1.5) and 1.1 (95% CI 1.0–1.2) times more likely than children with 90%–100% LEFW to experience caries in their permanent teeth. Conclusions: Longer lifetime exposure to fluoridated drinking water is causally associated with a lower childhood dental caries prevalence and more positive parental ratings of child oral health. The associations are stronger for younger children.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityMichael Anthony Foley, Christopher Sexton, Andrew John Spencer, Ratilal Lalloo, Loc Giang Do
dc.identifier.citationCommunity Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2022; 50(6):493-499
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/cdoe.12697
dc.identifier.issn0301-5661
dc.identifier.issn1600-0528
dc.identifier.orcidSpencer, A.J. [0000-0002-3462-7456]
dc.identifier.orcidLalloo, R. [0000-0001-5822-1269]
dc.identifier.orcidDo, L.G. [0000-0003-3684-9949]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/132553
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1016326
dc.rights© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.12697
dc.subjectchild
dc.subjectdental caries
dc.subjectfluoridation
dc.subjecthealth status
dc.subjectparents
dc.titleWater fluoridation, dental caries and parental ratings of child oral health
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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