Dental and medical practitioners' perception of community water fluoridation as a caries preventive measure

M Y Sabti 1, H Al-Yahya 2, N Al-Sumait 2, A A Akbar 3, M A Qudeimat 4

Affiliations

02 January 2019

-

doi: 10.1007/s40368-018-0385-1

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate and compare the perceptions and concerns of dental and medical practitioners towards water fluoridation as a caries preventive measure.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire comprising 21 questions was designed and validated to assess general knowledge and concerns of fluoride and community water fluoridation (CWF) as a dental caries preventive measure. The questions examined participant's perception regarding effectiveness, advantages, adverse effects, cost-benefit, and concerns pertinent to CWF. Dentists, general physicians and paediatricians were randomly recruited from public medical/dental centres, university clinics, and the private sector to complete the questionnaire.

Results: A total of 474 participants (74% response rate) completed the questionnaire (294 dentists and 180 medical practitioners). About 86% of the dentists and 78% of the medical practitioners agreed that CWF has a role in caries prevention. However, only a few of those would advise their patients to drink fluoridated water. There were some concerns about CWF, and the main concern in both groups was dental fluorosis. The level of awareness regarding CWF status in Kuwait amongst the two groups was low. However, the majority in both groups (77%) believed that the water supply should be optimally fluoridated.

Conclusion: Dental and medical health care professionals agreed that water fluoridation can benefit the oral health of the individuals in the community, however, general knowledge about fluoride benefits, safety, risks and status of public water fluoridation was low.

Keywords: Attitude; Dental caries; Dentistry; Knowledge; Medicine; Prevention; Water fluoridation.

Similar articles

Awareness of the Benefits and Risks Related to Using Fluoridated Toothpaste Among Doctors: A Population-Based Study.

Wang Y, Jiang L, Zhao Y.Med Sci Monit. 2019 Aug 26;25:6397-6404. doi: 10.12659/MSM.918197.PMID: 31447481 Free PMC article.

Assessing Dental Hygiene Students' and Community Caregivers' Knowledge of Strategies for Caries Prevention.

Bress LE, Horowitz AM, Capobianco DM, Fleming DE, Kleinman DV.J Dent Educ. 2019 Mar;83(3):351-358. doi: 10.21815/JDE.019.022. Epub 2019 Jan 28.PMID: 30692188

Water Fluoridation and Dental Caries in U.S. Children and Adolescents.

Slade GD, Grider WB, Maas WR, Sanders AE.J Dent Res. 2018 Sep;97(10):1122-1128. doi: 10.1177/0022034518774331. Epub 2018 Jun 14.PMID: 29900806 Free PMC article.

A critique of recent economic evaluations of community water fluoridation.

Ko L, Thiessen KM.Int J Occup Environ Health. 2015;21(2):91-120. doi: 10.1179/2049396714Y.0000000093. Epub 2014 Dec 3.PMID: 25471729 Free PMC article. Review.

Water fluoridation in Australia.

Spencer AJ, Slade GD, Davies M.Community Dent Health. 1996 Sep;13 Suppl 2:27-37.PMID: 8897748 Review.

KMEL References

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

References

  1.  
    1. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 1999 Feb;27(1):31-40 - PubMed
  2.  
    1. BMJ. 2000 Oct 7;321(7265):855-9 - PubMed
  3.  
    1. J Public Health Dent. 2001 Spring;61(2):78-86 - PubMed
  4.  
    1. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2001 Aug 17;50(RR-14):1-42 - PubMed
  5.  
    1. Am J Prev Med. 2002 Jul;23(1 Suppl):21-54 - PubMed
  6.  
    1. Med Princ Pract. 2002;11 Suppl 1:36-43 - PubMed
  7.  
    1. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2003;(1):CD002278 - PubMed
  8.  
    1. Am J Prev Med. 2004 May;26(4):315-25 - PubMed
  9.  
    1. Caries Res. 2004 May-Jun;38(3):294-304 - PubMed
  10.  
    1. Int Dent J. 2004 Dec;54(6 Suppl 1):329-43 - PubMed
  11.  
    1. Br Dent J. 2005 Oct 8;199(7 Suppl):1-4 - PubMed
  12.  
    1. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2005 Oct;29(5):477-83 - PubMed
  13.  
    1. Acta Odontol Scand. 2006 Apr;64(2):79-88 - PubMed
  14.  
    1. Community Dent Health. 2006 Mar;23(1):31-6 - PubMed
  15.  
    1. J Dent Educ. 2006 Sep;70(9):956-64 - PubMed
  16.  
    1. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2007 Mar;8(1):62-8 - PubMed
  17.  
    1. Adv Dent Res. 2008 Jul 01;20(1):8-12 - PubMed
  18.  
    1. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2009 Sep;10(3):129-35 - PubMed
  19.  
    1. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2009 Sep;10(3):136-40 - PubMed
  20.  
    1. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2009 Sep;10(3):141-8 - PubMed
  21.  
    1. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2009 Sep;10(3):149-56 - PubMed
  22.  
    1. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent. 2009 Sep;10(3):183-91 - PubMed
  23.  
    1. J Dent Res. 2013 Apr;92(4):376-82 - PubMed
  24.  
    1. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2013;11(3):281-90 - PubMed
  25.  
    1. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2014 Jun;42(3):224-33 - PubMed
  26.  
    1. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2014 Aug;42(4):341-8 - PubMed
  27.  
    1. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2014;12(1):61-9 - PubMed
  28.  
    1. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Jun 18;(6):CD010856 - PubMed
  29.  
    1. Public Health Rep. 2015 Jul-Aug;130(4):318-31 - PubMed
  30.  
    1. J Fam Pract. 1985 Nov;21(5):381-5 - PubMed
  31.  
    1. Dent Update. 1983 May;10(4):261-73 - PubMed
  32.  
    1. Am J Dis Child. 1982 Jan;136(1):61-3 - PubMed
  33.  
    1. J Am Dent Assoc. 1995 Jun;126 Suppl:1S-24S - PubMed
  34.  
    1. Acta Odontol Scand. 1995 Dec;53(6):389-91 - PubMed
  35.  
    1. Eur J Oral Sci. 1996 Aug;104(4 ( Pt 2)):416-22; discussion 423-5, 430-2 - PubMed

Page Navigation