Bailie Ross S, Stevens Matthew, Armfield Jason M, Ehsani Jonathan P, Beneforti Mary, Spencer John
Menzies School of Health Research, Queensland, Australia.
Aust N Z J Public Health. 2009 Jun;33(3):205-11. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2009.00376.x.
To map the geographic distribution of fluoride in water supplies and child dental caries in remote Indigenous communities of the Northern Territory (NT). To examine the association between fluoride levels, household and community factors, access to services and child dental caries in these communities and to model the impact on the caries experience of children of introducing water fluoridation.
Fluoride testing was conducted in 80 locations across the NT in 2001. Measures of mean caries experience for six-year-olds and 12-year-olds and community and housing-related infrastructure were obtained from records of the NT School Dental Service. Associations between community fluoride levels, community level variables and childhood caries experience and potential impact of water fluoridation were assessed using linear regression modeling.
Mean caries experience for six- and 12-year-olds tended to be higher in northern and eastern areas of the NT, corresponding to the distribution of low levels of natural fluoride. Several-fold more children in remote NT communities are exposed to the risks of inadequate fluoride than are exposed to excessive fluoride. Mean reticulated fluoride level was the only variable significantly associated (p<0.05) with caries experience in both age groups. The potential reduction of caries through introducing water fluoridation is expected to be about 28% for children living in communities with the lowest levels of fluoride (<0.3 mg/L).
Introduction of fluoridation of water supplies into communities with inadequate natural fluoride is a vital measure for improving the dental health of children living in remote NT communities.
绘制北领地（NT）偏远原住民社区供水系统中氟化物的地理分布以及儿童龋齿情况。研究这些社区中氟化物水平、家庭和社区因素、服务可及性与儿童龋齿之间的关联，并模拟引入水氟化对儿童龋齿经历的影响。
2001年在北领地的80个地点进行了氟化物检测。六岁和十二岁儿童的平均龋齿经历以及社区和住房相关基础设施的测量数据来自北领地学校牙科服务记录。使用线性回归模型评估社区氟化物水平、社区层面变量与儿童龋齿经历之间的关联以及水氟化的潜在影响。
北领地北部和东部地区六岁和十二岁儿童的平均龋齿经历往往较高，这与天然氟化物含量低的分布情况相对应。北领地偏远社区中面临氟化物不足风险的儿童数量是面临氟化物过量风险儿童数量的几倍。平均管网氟化物水平是与两个年龄组龋齿经历均显著相关（p<0.05）的唯一变量。对于生活在氟化物水平最低（<0.3毫克/升）社区的儿童，通过引入水氟化预计龋齿减少约28%。
将供水氟化引入天然氟化物不足的社区是改善北领地偏远社区儿童口腔健康的一项重要措施。
