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Fluoride ingestion has been linked to changes in behavior in mice and rats, related to dose, sex of the animal, and the timing of exposure. Previous studies have shown the behavior of female rats to be most affected by postnatal fluoride exposure, and in this study we determined the effects of postnatal fluoride exposure on anxiety related behavior and serotonin. Mice given 50 ppm fluoride in drinking water had increased entries in the open arms of the elevated plus maze, suggesting reduced anxiety. Both peripheral and central serotonin was increased in the fluoride treated mice. In a cohort of children drinking water containing 2.5 ppm fluoride, serum serotonin was also increased as compared to controls. The mechanisms by which fluoride results in an increase peripheral and central serotonin are not well understood, but warrant further study, as these effects may also be relevant to prenatal fluoride related changes in behavior in both mice and humans.

Dental anxiety develops in the early years of life and may persist into adulthood that can lead to avoidance of dental treatment. 1 Dental anxiety refers to all different types of dental fears and phobias, and to differentiate between these terms is complicated. 2 The source of a child's anxiety may vary; some children show signs of fears or phobias regarding specific stimuli (eg, needle or drill), whereas other children present more generalized anxiety where the source of the threat is ambivalent, uncertain or not immediately present. 3 However, children's emotional response shows similarities in both situations. 4 Distress, children experience during treatment, may evoke dental anxiety which is being maintained over time that leads to avoidance behaviour throughout adulthood. 1 It is important to clarify emotions that generate behaviours during dental treatment. 5 There are many tools to assess dental anxiety. 6 These methods are the clinical observation of

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