A simple and inexpensive method of treating fluorosed teeth

Abstract

Unaesthetic staining due to increased fluorides called flourosis manifests as a yellow to dark brown stain on the front teeth. These stains can have a severe psychological impact on the patient concerned. This condition is quite common in Sri Lanka, specially in the North Central Province, where the prevalence rate is 55 - 77% in the 7 to 20 year old school going children.

Although treatment procedures such as constructing jacket crowns, veneering and composite restorations are carried out in the western world which are exorbitantly expensive, an average person in Sri Lanka, especially in the affected farmer families can hardly afford this kind of sophisticated expensive treatment Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a simple and inexpensive method of treatment, for fluorosis, which could be idealfor the Sri Lankan situation.

Ten different treatment methods were tried out using a weaker and a relatively stronger acid with or without a bleaching agent 18-36% hydrochloric acid with or without the bleaching agent gave satisfactory results. It was also noted that the concentration of the hydrochloric acid had to be increased when the mottling was severe in order to obtain satisfactoryresults.

This is a very simple and inexpensive method of treating dental fluorosis especially suitable for a developingcountry like Sri Lanka.