Enamel defects in 4- to 5-year-old children in fluoridated and non-fluoridated parts of Cheshire, UK.

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel in the deciduous dentition of 4- to 5-year-old children residing in fluoridated (1 ppmF) and non-fluoridated (less than 0.2 ppmF) communities in Cheshire, UK. The significant difference in the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel between the two communities was accounted for by the higher prevalence of diffuse opacities in fluoridated Nantwich (29%), than in non-fluoridated Northwich (14%). The results also showed that when controlling for the age at which parents claimed toothbrushing commenced, the children in fluoridated Nantwich still had significantly more diffuse defects than the children in Northwich.