Exposure to fluoride through daily oral home-care and professionally procedures in the dental office for a group of Romanian children

Abstract

Objectives. The aim of this study was the assessment of the exposure to fluoride through oral homecare products as well as professional applications for a group of children from Bucharest, Romania. Materials and methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 on a sample of 207 subjects from Bucharest, Romania, including parents with children between 1 and 12 years distributed in three age groups: 1-2 years, 3-5 years and 6-12 years. The assessment used a 10 items questionnaire, on-line and self-administered and completed by the parents most involved in child’s oral health. Results. The correct concentration of fluoride in child’s toothpaste was used as it follows 3.7% of 1-2 year-olds, 4.24% of 3-5 year-olds, 8.06% 6-12 year-olds. The age-adapted recommended quantity of toothpaste was used for 37.4% of children of 1-2 years, 61.86% of children of 3-5 years and 24.19% of children of 6-12 years. Twice-daily tooth brushing was performed by 40.74% 1-2 year-olds, 44.92% 3-5 year-olds, 62.90% 6-12 year-olds. In-office professional fluoridation was low, 88.89% of 1-2 years old children, 92.37% of 3-5 years old children and 77.42% 6-12 years old children were never exposed to such preventive procedures. Conclusions. Children from the present study had a suboptimal exposure to fluoride through oral home care products as well as to topical in-office professionally application of high concentration fluoride products.