Enamel defects in 11-12 year-old subjects in a fluoridated area.

Enamel defects were studied in a group of 11-12 year-old children in a fluoridated area using the DDE index. The mouth prevalence of this condition was 72.5 per cent with a tooth prevalence of 40.4 per cent. Enamel opacities accounted for 96.5 per cent of the total condition of which the diffuse patchy type predominates. The defects on the affected posterior teeth occurred most commonly on both the buccal and lingual/palatal surfaces, with most defects being located in the incisal one-half, gingival one-half and occlusal simultaneously. In the affected incisors, the highest proportion of defects affected the buccal surface only, with the most frequent location being the incisal one-half and gingival one-half simultaneously. In 20.9 per cent of the affected subjects, there was a 100 per cent tooth involvement.