Research report Fluoride 46(4)218–221 October-December 2013 Dental fluorosis in children in Laxmisagar village, West Bengal, India Das, Dey, Roy, Pal, Mondal 218 218 DENTAL FLUOROSIS IN CHILDREN IN LAXMISAGAR VILLAGE BANKURA DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL, INDIA Kousik Das, a Uttiya Dey, a Palas Roy, a Kartick Chandra Pal, a Naba Kumar Mondal a, * Burdwan, West Bengal, India SUMMARY: A survey was conducted in the remote area of Laxmisagar village of Simlapal Block, Bankura District, West Bengal, India, of the fluoride (F) concentration in ground water and dental fluorosis in children, 66 boys and 83 girls, aged 6 – <8 yr, 8 – 10 yr, and >10 yr. The ground water F concentration range was 0.25–9.30 mg F/L and the mean 2.02 mg F/L. Using Dean’s Index, the severity of dental fluorosis tended to increase with age, particularly for girls but the result was not significant (boys: r=0.474, p=0.893; girls: r=0.949, p=0.146). In the >10 yr groups, severe dental fluorosis was present in 15.79% of boys and 35% of girls. Keywords: Bankura District, West Bengal, India; Dental fluorosis; Deans’ index; Fluoride in water; Ground water pollution; Laxmisagar. INTRODUCTION High ground water fluoride (F) has long being linked to the occurrence of skeletal and dental fluorosis 1-3 with the most sensitive period for development of dental fluorosis being during the enamel formation. 4 In the present study, the F concentration of ground water in Laxmisagar village, Simlapal Block, Bankura District, West Bengal, India and the occurrence of dental fluorosis in children were studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-seven ground water samples were collected from different locations in Laxmisagar village, 22º 55’ 24” N to 22º 55’ 47” N and 87º 00’09” E to 87º 00’ 55” E, and the F concentration estimated by using an Orion Star A214 electrode. (Figure 1). Dean’s Index 5,6 was used to for assessing visually the presence of dental fluorosis in 149 children, (66 boys and 83 girls, age groups: 6 – <8 yr, 8 – 10 yr, a Department of Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan. *Corresponding author: Dr Naba Kumar Mondal, Assistant professor, Department of Environmental Science, The University of Burdwan. E-mail: nkmenvbu@gmail.com Figure 1. Laxmisagar village, Bankura District, West Bengal, India.