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An Investigation of Bottled Water Use and Caries in the Mixed Dentition
Author(s) -
Broffitt Barbara,
Levy Steven M.,
Warren John J.,
Cavanaugh Joseph E.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2007.00013.x
Subject(s) - fluoride , bottled water , dentistry , medicine , dentition , permanent dentition , logistic regression , molar , environmental health , chemistry , environmental science , inorganic chemistry , environmental engineering
Objectives: Bottled water consumption in the United States has greatly increased in the past decade. Because the majority of commercial bottled water is low in fluoride, there is the potential for an increase in dental caries. In these secondary data analyses, associations between bottled water use and dental caries were explored. Methods: Subjects ( n= 413) are in the Iowa Fluoride Study, which included dental examinations of the primary (approximately aged 5) and early erupting permanent (approximately aged 9) dentitions by trained dentist examiners. Permanent tooth caries and primary second molar increments were related to bottled water use using logistic and negative binomial regression models. All models were adjusted for age and the frequency of toothbrushing. Results: Bottled water use in this cohort was fairly limited (~10 percent). While bottled water users had significantly lower fluoride intakes, especially fluoride from water, there were no significant differences found in either permanent tooth caries ( P= 0.20 and 0.91 for prevalence and D 2 + FS, respectively) or primary second molar caries ( P= 0.94 and 0.74 for incidence and d 2 + fs increment, respectively). Results for smooth surfaces differed somewhat from those for pit and fissure surfaces, but neither showed significant differences related to bottled water use. Conclusion: While bottled water users had significantly lower fluoride intakes, this study found no conclusive evidence of an association with increased caries. Further study is warranted, preferably using studies designed specifically to address this research question.