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 efficac y without causing dental fluorosis is not precisely known, it has been sugg ested that the threshold of fluoride exposure above which fluorosis may occ ur is between 0.05 and 0.07 mg/kg/day Objective: To monitor and compare flu oride intake from diet and dentifrice use (theoretical F: 0.10-0.11%) by th ree groups of 16- to 40-month-old children: two groups living in the neglig ibly water-fluoridated communities of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Connersvil le, Indiana, and the third group residing in the optimally water-fluoridate d region of Indianapolis, Indiana. Methods: Fluoride intake from diet was m onitored by the "duplicate plate" method, and fluoride ingested from dentif rice was determined by subtracting the amount of fluoride recovered after b rushing from the amount originally placed on the child's toothbrush. Result s: The mean combined amount of fluoride ingested daily by children living i n the negligibly fluoridated communities was not significantly different fr om that ingested by children in the fluoridated community. The major compon ent of fluoride ingested by children in the negligibly fluoridated communit ies came from fluoridated dentifrice, and in the fluoridated area children ingested as much fluoride from toothpaste as they did from beverages. In Sa n Juan mean daily fluoride intake was within the estimated range for safe f luoride exposure; however, in the "halo" community of Connersville and in I ndianapolis, daily fluoride ingested by many of the children may have excee ded this level. Conclusion: Attention needs to be given, in negligibly wate r-fluoridated as well as in optimally water-fluoridated communities, to red ucing the daily intake of fluoride by young children in order to avoid putt ing them at risk of developing dental fluorosis.