Address: 10 N. Main St., West Hartford, Connecticut 06107. 1p dental caries prevention by ingestion of naturally occurring or artificially added fluorides in communal water sources has been well documented. '-,5 For areas without community water fluoridation, alternative methods of fluoride supplementation have been The purpose of this report is to evaluate selected studies on (a) metabolism of fluoride consumed in single daily doses and (b) the effect of these supplements on dental caries experience.
Fluoride Absorption and DistributionThe rate of absorption of fluoride given in single daily dose depends on the fluoride salt ingested, the form of administration and quantity of fluoride consumed. Plasma fluoride concentrations and urinary excretion rates reflect these variations in rate of absorption to a considerable degree. Plasma Fluoride Concentrations Single Dose Administration. Assembled in Table 1 are findings from four investigations 12-15 on plasma fluoride concentrations following single dose fluoride administration. The following conclusions may be drawn from these data: . 1. In ratS,12 dogs and human subjects,&dquo; concentrations of fluoride in plasma tend to reach maximum values within one hour after administration Suoride is ingested as sodium fluoride. 2. The rate of fluoride absorption depends to a large extent on the fluoride salt ingested. Sodium fluoride is more rapidly absorbed than stannous fluoride.1+ 3. The form of fluoride administration influences the rate and level of fluoride absorption : absorption rates for fluoride administered in milk or water solution are similar but peak plasma fluoride concentrations tend to be somewhat lower when a milk vehicle is used. 12 Fluoride in aqueous solution tends to be more rapidly absorbed than fluoride in either tablet or sustained-release capsule form.&dquo; 4. Variation in fluoride absorption rate is noted with size of dose.15 For example, 0.5 mg. and 1.0 mg. fluoride doses given as aqueous sodium fluoride to albino rats are absorbed rapidly compared to the same doses given as delayed-release capsules; at the 2.0 mg. fluoride level, however the absorption rates are nearly identical whether the dose consumed is an aqueous fluoride solution our a susta,ined-rele~-,se Suoride capsule. Comparison between Single Dose Administration and Ad Libitum Ingestion from Drinking Water. Despite large variations in fluoride concentration of water source, plasma fluoride levels remain remarkably constant in rats 16,17 and in humans.18. 19 and Armstrong 19 reported plasma fluoride concentrations of at NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIV LIB on June 24, 2015 cpj.sagepub.com Downloaded from 178 TABLE 1. Investigations on Plasma Fluoride Concentrations After Single Dose Fluoride Ingestion 0.14 to 0.19 ppm. for individuals consuming water with fluoride content between 0.15 and 2.5 ppm. The plasma fluoride levels (0.13 and 0.17 ppm.) reported for humans ingesting a single fluoride dose are similar.13
Rates of Urinary ExcretionMaximum urinary fluoride excretion rates by adults con...