Evaluation of salt consumption habits and their relationship with moderate and severe dental fluorosis in schoolchildren from 7 to 12 years of the rural parishes of the Cuenca canton.

The fluorization of table salt is a strategy recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as a preventive measure to reduce the population of the population to a low cost. Since 1996, the fluorization of salt has also been adopted by decree in Ecuador, establishing a dose of 200-250 ppm of fluoride (Official Registry No. 998, 1996, National Directorate of Stomology, Quito, N.D.), as a consequence, the incidence of tooth decay, has decreased around the world (T. Marthaler, 2004), however, the prevalence of fluorosis Dental has increased as in developed countries as in developing roads (Ayoob S., 2006; Shanthi et al., 2014; Tellez, Santamaria, Gomez, & Martignon, 2011). The objective of the proposal is to evaluate salt intake, identify unhealthy habits and its relationship with dental fluorosis in moderate to severe degree in a sample of school children from 7 to 12 years in the rural area of the Canton Cuenca. A cross -sectional case and control study will be carried out in 294 schoolchildren in the rural area of the Cuenca canton. This will begin with the oral examination of schoolchildren to identify those with the presence of severe and moderate fluorosis (cases, n = 147) and those who do not present any degree of fluorosis (controls, n = 147), through the criteria of the Dean index, then through a 24 -hour reminder survey addressed to the representative of the school and the child will evaluate the daily consumption of salt and the identification of non -healthy eating habits; In addition, the daily contribution of fluorine will be measured through the 24 -hour urine analysis by means of the specific Ion method. This study will provide complementary data in this line of research that is preventive in the field of public health, which will allow to know silent habits of salt consumption that would benefit this vulnerable age group.

XVII UNIVERSITY COMPETITION FOR RESEARCH PROJECTS