Fluoride intake from foods, beverages and dentifrice by children in Mexico.
OBJECTIVE
This investigation monitored fluoride ingestion in Mexican children who were susceptible to developing dental fluorosis.


METHODS
Total fluoride intake, from dietary and toothpaste samples, was determined in 15-36-month-old children from Mexico City and Veracruz, Mexico. A duplicate plate technique was used. Plasma fluoride levels were also determined in this group of children.


RESULTS
The children ingested a mean (+/-SD) of 0.20 +/- 0.08 and 0.18 +/- 0.07 mg fluoride/kg/day, in Mexico City and Veracruz, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the fluoride ingested by children in the two cities (P > 0.9). Plasma from children in Mexico City and Veracruz contained a mean of 1.30 +/- 0.81 and 0.87 +/- 0.72 micro mol fluoride/l, respectively, and these values were not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results lead to the conclusion that mean fluoride ingested from the combination of foods and beverages was within the proposed safe threshold for fluoride intake of 0.05-0.07 mg F/kg/day. Most of the fluoride intake by these children was derived from the ingestion of fluoridated toothpaste. When all sources of ingested fluoride were added and total fluoride intake was calculated, the children, both in Mexico City and Veracruz, were ingesting amounts of fluoride well above the upper limits of the proposed safe threshold for fluoride intake.
Martínez-Mier
E Angeles
EA
Oral Health Research Institute, Indiana University School of Dentistry, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA. esmartin@iupui.edu
Soto-Rojas
Armando E
AE
Ureña-Cirett
José L
JL
Stookey
George K
GK
Dunipace
Ann J
AJ
D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000032:analysis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005502:Food; D005504:Food Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D017736:Ion-Selective Electrodes; D008297:Male; D008452:Maximum Allowable Concentration; D008800:Mexico; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D003802:Dentifrices; D005459:Fluorides