Prevalence of dental enamel defects in 6, 7 and 8-year-old children resident in West Bromwich, Sandwell, UK.

Prompted by a parent's concern about the enamel defects of his daughter's teeth, the present study surveyed a sample of 6-8-year-old children using a modified developmental defects of enamel index. The aim was to establish the prevalence of such defects in permanent teeth of children in West Bromwich and to investigate differences according to social class or ethnic origin. Results showed that the mouth and tooth prevalence of enamel defects in Sandwell were not higher than those reported in similar studies. Analysis revealed no statistical significance between the tooth or mouth prevalence of defects according to the social class of the child although significant differences were found between children of Asian and non-Asian origin. A greater prevalence of diffuse defects was found among non-Asian children, conversely there was a greater prevalence of demarcated defects among Asian children. Recommendations are made in relation to the conduct of future studies of a similar kind with regard to the number of teeth examined, the presentation of reproducibility results and the evaluation of the cosmetic appearance of the teeth.