title: Assessment of teeth as biomarkers for skeletal fluoride exposure.
abstract: Skeletal fluorosis and dental fluorosis are diseases related to fluoride (F) ingestion. Bone is the largest storage site of F in our body. Therefore, bone F concentrations are considered biomarkers for total F body burden (exposure). However, difficult accessibility limits its use as a biomarker. Thus, a more accessible tissue should be considered and analyzed as a biomarker for total F body burden. The objective of this study, which was divided into two parts, was to evaluate teeth as a biomarker for skeletal F exposure. In part 1 of the study, 70 mice of three different strains (SWR/J, A/J and 129P3/J) were exposed to different levels of water fluoridation (0, 25, 50 and 100 ppm). Bone (femora and vertebrae) and teeth from these mice were then analyzed for F concentration using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA). In part 2 of the study, human teeth (enamel and dentin) and bone from 30 study subjects were collected and analyzed for F concentration using INAA. Study subjects lived in areas with optimum levels of water fluoridation (0.7 and 1 ppm) and underwent therapeutic extraction of their unerupted third molars. The values of bone and teeth F concentration were correlated for parts 1 and 2 of this study. The results showed that in the animal model, where animals were exposed to a wide range of F in their drinking water, tooth [F] correlated with bone [F]. However, no correlation was seen between bone and enamel F concentrations or between bone and dentin F concentrations in the human samples. Therefore, teeth are not good biomarkers for skeletal F exposure in humans when exposure is confined to optimum levels of F in the drinking water.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A P G F
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mousny
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Everett
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Grynpas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000737:chemistry; D003804:Dentin / Q000737:chemistry; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005459:Fluorides / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D023421:Models, Animal; D008963:Molar / Q000737:chemistry; D014070:Tooth / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005459:Fluorides