Assessing fluoride levels of carbonated soft drinks

Background, Dental fluorosis occurs as a result of excessive total fluoride intake during tooth development. Some children may receive substantial int ake from soft drinks, but few studies have reported fluoride levels in soft drinks. The authors examined the fluoride concentrations of 332 soft drink s. Methods, Soft drinks were purchased from Iowa grocery stores. To identify p roduction sites, the authors recorded product details and batch numbers. Af ter decarbonating the drinks, the authors assayed samples for fluoride cont ent using a fluoride ion-specific electrode, and reported the results in pa rts per million, or ppm, using appropriate standards and duplicate assessme nts. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Results. The fluoride levels of the products ranged from 0.02 to 1.28 ppm, with a mean level of 0.72 ppm. Fluoride levels exceeded 0.60,ppm for 71 per cent of the products. Results varied substantially by production site, even within the same company and for the same product. There were no substantia l differences between flavors or between diet and regular soft drinks. Conclusions. The majority of soft drinks had fluoride levels exceeding 0.60 ppm. Variation in fluoride levels probably is due largely to the different water sources used in production. Clinical Implications. With no fluoride levels marked on the soft drink pro ducts or easily available from the manufacturers, it is not possible for cl inicians or consumers to directly estimate fluoride ingestion from carbonat ed beverages. Therefore, to reduce the risk of dental fluorosis, dental and medical practitioners should be cautious about prescribing dietary fluorid e supplements to preschool-aged children in nonfluoridated areas who consum e large quantities of carbonated soft drinks.