Fluoride intake from foods, beverages and dentifrice by young children in communities with negligibly and optimally fluoridated water: a pilot study.
While the level of fluoride intake that affords optimal cariostatic efficacy without causing dental fluorosis is not precisely known, it has been suggested that the threshold of fluoride exposure above which fluorosis may occur is between 0.05 and 0.07 mg/kg/day.


OBJECTIVE
To monitor and compare fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice use (theoretical F: 0.10-0.11%) by three groups of 16- to 40-month-old children: two groups living in the negligibly water-fluoridated communities of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Connersville, Indiana, and the third group residing in the optimally water-fluoridated region of Indianapolis, Indiana.


METHODS
Fluoride intake from diet was monitored by the "duplicate plate" method, and fluoride ingested from dentifrice was determined by subtracting the amount of fluoride recovered after brushing from the amount originally placed on the child's toothbrush.


RESULTS
The mean combined amount of fluoride ingested daily by children living in the negligibly fluoridated communities was not significantly different from that ingested by children in the fluoridated community. The major component of fluoride ingested by children in the negligibly fluoridated communities came from fluoridated dentifrice, and in the fluoridated area children ingested as much fluoride from toothpaste as they did from beverages. In San Juan mean daily fluoride intake was within the estimated range for safe fluoride exposure; however, in the "halo" community of Connersville and in Indianapolis, daily fluoride ingested by many of the children may have exceeded this level.


CONCLUSIONS
Attention needs to be given, in negligibly water-fluoridated as well as in optimally water-fluoridated communities, to reducing the daily intake of fluoride by young children in order to avoid putting them at risk of developing dental fluorosis.
Rojas-Sanchez
F
F
Oral Health Research Institute, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
Kelly
S A
SA
Drake
K M
KM
Eckert
G J
GJ
Stookey
G K
GK
Dunipace
A J
AJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D005502:Food / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007196:Indiana; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011647:Puerto Rico; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D003802:Dentifrices; D005459:Fluorides