Fluoride Consumption and Its Impact on Oral Health

Abstract

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to evaluate caries and dental fluorosis among Mexican preschoolers and school-aged children in a non-endemic zone for fluorosis and to measure its biological indicators.MethodsDMFT, DMFS, dmft, dmfs, and CDI indexes were applied. Fluoride urinary excretion and fluoride concentrations in home water, table salt, bottled water, bottled drinks, and toothpaste were determined.ResultsSchoolchildren presented fluorosis (CDI = 0.96) and dental caries (DMFT = 2.64 and DMFS = 3.97). Preschoolers presented dmft = 4.85 and dmfs = 8.80. DMFT and DMFS were lower in children with mild to moderate dental fluorosis (DF). Variable fluoride concentrations were found in the analyzed products (home water = 0.18–0.44 ppm F, table salt = 0–485 ppm F, bottled water = 0.18–0.47 ppm F, juices = 0.08–1.42 ppm F, nectars = 0.07–1.30 ppm F, bottled drinks = 0.10–1.70 ppm F, toothpaste = 0–2,053 ppm F). Mean daily fluoride excretion was 422 ± 176 μg/24 h for schoolchildren and 367 ± 150 μg/24 h for preschoolers.ConclusionsData from our study show that, despite values of excretion within an optimal fluoride intake range, the prevalence of caries was significant in both groups, and 60% of the 11- to 12-year-old children presented with dental fluorosis. In addition, variable fluoride concentrations in products frequently consumed by children were found.

Urinary and plasma fluoride levels in pregnant women from Mexico City

“…An estimated 210 million people in the United States (CDC, 2013) and millions more across 30+ countries drink water with fluoride levels currently considered optimal for caries prevention (Fawell et al, 2006). In addition to water, population-level exposures in some areas are achieved via the fluoridation of salt (e.g., certain regions of Mexico; Martinez-Mier et al 2009;Jimenez-Farfan et al 2011) or milk (Peterson et al, 2015;Weitz et al, 2015). Despite clear benefits in relation to dental caries, there remains an intense debate over the safety of fluoridation because of evidence demonstrating that excessive fluoride intake is associated with adverse effects on teeth (DenBesten and Li, 2011), bones (Chachra et al 2008), and childhood cognition (Tang et al, 2008).…”

Estimation of Toothpaste Fluoride Intake in Preschool Children

“…The association between early use of fluoride dentifrice and the prevalence of dental fluorosis is widely reported in the literature in fluoridated and non-fluoridated regions (8)(9)(10)(11). The ingestion of fluoride toothpaste before the age of 6 is identified as one of the main risk factors for dental fluorosis (8,12).…”

Estratégias de promoção da saúde: diagnóstico situacional em escolas do ensino fundamental

“…Em uma pesquisa com professores de uma escola pública em Belo Horizonte-MG, verificou-se que muitos não se sentem seguros para abordar o tema e necessitam receber mais informações (16) . Apesar da assumida importância da escovação dental para a manutenção da saúde bucal, a exposição ao flúor tópico, prática realizada somente pelas escolas públicas do município, não se mostra associada à prevalência da cárie dental (17)(18)(19) .…”