Fluorine, its relationship with Buco-Dental Health, growth and tissue and metabolic changes in children in Canton Cuenca

It is a transverse epidemiological study, to establish the prevalence and degree of dental fluorosis in a sample of school children in the Cuenca canton. Then, in a case and control study, the contribution of systemic fluorine (salt), and anti-oxidant intracellular mechanisms in children with moderate and severe fluorosis will be compared vs. children without fluorosis. This study will also determine the natural content of fluoride in the water sources of the Cuenca canton and its relationship with dental fluorosis. In addition, it will examine intracellular metabolic changes in school children with moderate/severe fluorosis compared to children without fluorosis. The study will begin with obtaining the geographical cartography of urban and rural schools of the Cuenca canton and their water sources; The stature of schoolchildren will be recorded; A Dental Buco exam will be performed to determine tooth fluorosis; With the cartographic map elaborated from the rural and urban schools, the corresponding water samples will be obtained to carry out their analysis, the daily fluorine load in children will be established by determining fluoride in the urine. In children with moderate or severe fluorosis and in children control without fluorosis the consumption of fluoride will be measured in the salt of the one day at random, in addition the fluorosis analysis will be complemented, by means of a blood test (5 ml) to determine the oxidative stress indicators. With this study, the prevalence of dental fluorosis and its severity in children from 7 to 13 years of the Cuenca canton will be determined; It will be known if the growth of children with moderate and severe fluorosis is affected in relation to children without fluorosis. In addition, original information on the effects of fluorosis on intracellular anti-oxidant processes will be taken and a set of clinical, field and laboratory protocols will be standardized to replicate this study in other cantons or provinces.

VII UNIVERSITY PROJECT COMPETITION, II RESEARCH PROGRAM COMPETITION