Ic. Boulton et al., Lesion scoring in field vole teeth: Application to the biological monitoring of environmental fluoride contamination, ENV MON ASS, 55(3), 1999, pp. 409-422
The relationship between fluoride-induced lesions, measured using an increm
ental scoring system, and fluoride concentration was investigated in the te
eth of the field vole (Microtus agrestis). Both the magnitude of lesion sco
re and the severity of observed lesions in both incisor and molar teeth was
correlated with the respective tissue fluoride concentration. This: relati
onship was observed not only in animals trapped from sites contaminated by
industrial fluorides, but also those bred and maintained under laboratory c
onditions and consuming fluoride in either diet or drinking water. Although
some variation occurred between field and laboratory animals as to the mea
n fluoride concentrations in the incisor or molar for each specific lesion
score, this may result in part from differences in the nature of the assimi
lable fluoride in laboratory diets compared to those consumed by wild anima
ls. The practical application of the relationship between dental lesion sco
re and tissue fluoride concentration to monitoring environmental fluoride c
ontamination is discussed, Because the incisor and molar teeth of the field
voles are open-rooted and grow throughout life, they are sensitive to even
minor temporal changes in fluoride concentration in tissue fluids and bloo
d and, by inference, in the diet and the environment. Therefore, assessment
of visual lesions in the dentition of wild-caught field voles may provide
the basis of a scheme to monitor the magnitude and effects of environmental
fluoride contamination on populations of wild and domestic mammals. The de
velopment of nondestructive methods to allow the repeated examination of th
e teeth of captured field voles, and hence the dynamic monitoring of enviro
nmental fluoride contamination, is also considered.