The Effect of Fluoride Drinking Water Content and Elevation above Sea on Child Dental Caries in Borazjan Villages

The aim of this study was to determine relationship between the groundwater fluoride (F) concentration and villages elevation with dental caries in children living in the Borazjan villages (in Dashtestan area) of the Bushehr Province. 13 villages in Dashtestan with only a groundwater source and essentially the same socio-economic living standards conditions were surveyed. All of the children in each village in the ages 6–11 were sampled for a total of 2287 in all villages. F levels in the village drinking water measured by the SPADNS method. F drinking water concentration ranged from 0.99 to 2.50 mg/L, while the number of decayed permanent (Dt) teeth per child ranged between 0.14 and 1.08 and the number of decayed deciduous (dt) teeth ranged between 0.17 and 1.18. Over this narrow concentration range there appeared to be no significant association between the F level in the drinking water and Dt and dt. Also it was appeared villages elevation had no any significant effect on dental carries levels. F drinking water levels higher than 1 mg/L in this area had no any effect in the prevention of dental caries.