Fluoride, Mineralisation Defects of the Enamel, and Tooth Width

Abstract

Fluoride, Mineralisation defects of the enamel, and tooth width. Acta Paediat Scand, 63: 188, 1974.-The purpose of the investigation was to appraise the frequency of enamel mineralisation defects in 151 children, aged 8-11 years, born and raised in a district in Vasterbotten county in northern Sweden, where the fluoride content of the drinking water ranges up to 2 mg/l, and to examine the mesiodistal widths of the teeth for effects of fluoride in these concentrations. The control group consisted of 213 children who had always lived in a town where the fluoride content of the drinking water was SO.1 mg/l. The mineralisation defects were recorded clinically and photographically. Owing to the various ages of the children, only mineralisation defects in permanent incisors and six-year molars were noted. The mesio-distal widths of the teeth were measured on plaster casts. The frequency of enamel fluorosis was high (34%) in those children whose drinking water had a fluoride content of 1.k2.0 mg/l and also high (31%) in th& children living in areas with a fluoride content of 1.kl.2 mg/l. No satisfactory explanation can be offered for the relatively high frequency of fluorosis. There are, however, variations in the natural fluoride concentration of the ground water and probably also considerable individual variation in water consumption. This stresses the necessity of further investigation of children's fluoride intake. No significant differences in mesio-distal widths of individual teeth could be demonstrated.

Cariostatic Mechanisms of Fluorides: Clinical Observations

“…The size of the teeth does not seem to be affected consistently by the F supply during their development [Wallenius, 1959;Lovius and Goose, 1969;Simpson and Castaldi, 1969;Baalack and Frisk, 1969;Grahnen et al, 1974], but there is a report of greater width of the dental arches with a higher F supply [Baalack and Frisk, 1969].…”

Enamel Fluorosis Related to Plasma F Levels in the Rat

“…Based on studies of several species, including hu mans, daily fluoride doses of about 0.1 mg/kg during tooth development are suf ficient to cause marginal dental fluorosis [Sum'eet al, 1972;Kruger, 1970;AngmarMansson et al, 1976;Forsman , 1977], It is, however, questionable whether a single value for fluoride intake can reliably pre dict dental fluorosis for all populations. Several studies have reported endemic in volvement in the apparent absence of ex cessive fluoride intake [Leatherwood et al, 1965;Nanda et al, 1974;Grahnen et al, 1974], Further, found developing enamel fluoride levels and the degree of rat incisor fluoro sis to be independent of or inversely relat ed to fluoride intake depending on acidbase status. They suggested that fluoride balance among individuals or populations could vary sufficiently to render intake da ta invalid as predictors of dental fluorosis.…”

Comparison of the crown size of teeth in children from a high and an optimum fluoride area in South Africa

“…It has been shown that increasing dietary levels of fluoride produces correspondingly more marked changes in the morphology ofthe rat molar (12). However, GRAHNEN et al (19), could find no such correlation when comparing the mesio-distal width of teeth in 9-yr-old children from a non-fluoridated area and an area with drinking water fluoride content of 2 mg/1. An optimum-fluoride sample was not included in their study.…”