Aims: There is no data neither on consumption frequency of drinking water (exposure to fluoride) nor its effects on the prevalence of dental caries and erosion in Libyan schoolchildren. Therefore, the aims were to estimate the frequency of daily consumption of drinking water and test their relationship with the prevalence of dental caries and erosion in a group of Libyan children in Benghazi.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study. Data on daily water consumption from a randomly selected sample using a questionnaire survey was obtained. This questionnaire was based on the one previously used in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2000). Dental caries was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Dental erosion was assessed using UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2000) criteria. Associations between caries, erosion and variables understudy were investigated through processes of bivariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: Seven hundred and eighty eight schoolchildren completed questionnaire survey and underwent dental examination. The mean age was 11.7 years (SD±0.31). Of the sample; 441 (56%) of the subjects consumed both tap and bottled water. Two hundred and thirty four (30%) consumed just tap water with frequency ranged between 0.5 and 8 times a day. One hundred and thirteen children (14%) consumed just bottled water (low fluoride) with frequency ranged between 0.6 and 9 times a day. Four hundred and sixty children (58%) had experience of dental caries and 316 children (40%) exhibited dental erosion. Girls had more experience of dental caries and erosion than boys. There were no statistically significant associations between exposure to fluoride from drinking water (tap/bottled) in terms of frequency and experience of dental erosion and caries.

Conclusion: In this study, the benefit of fluoride in drinking water was overwhelmed by exposure to other variables. Dental erosion and caries have multifactorial aetiology which suggests other factors had influence on their progression. However, drinking water should be encouraged and maintained within Libyan schoolchildren as part of a healthy diet and for its fluoride protection effect against dental caries and erosion and to displace sugared-acidic drinks consumption.