Fluoride intake in Japanese children aged 3-5 years by the duplicate-diet technique

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Pediatric Nutrition
• Dental Public Health

Background:

• Fluoride intake is crucial for dental health, but excessive levels can be harmful.
• Understanding fluoride exposure in young children is essential for public health recommendations.
• Preschool children in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan, were studied due to their low fluoride water supply (< 0.16 ppm F).

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the daily fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice in preschool children aged 3, 4, and 5 years.
• To assess fluoride exposure levels in a population with a naturally low fluoride water supply.
• To provide data for evaluating potential risks and benefits of fluoride intake in young children.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 94 preschool children (30 aged 3, 30 aged 4, 34 aged 5) participated.
• Parents duplicated their children's diets over 3 days within a 1-year period.
• Acid-diffusible fluoride in diet was isolated using acid-diffusion and measured with a fluoride electrode; dentifrice use was also recorded.

Main Results:

• Mean daily fluoride intake from diet alone was 0.30 mg for 3-year-olds, 0.28 mg for 4-year-olds, and 0.30 mg for 5-year-olds.
• Total mean fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice was 0.35 mg/day for 3-year-olds, 0.33 mg/day for 4-year-olds, and 0.39 mg/day for 5-year-olds.
• The overall mean total fluoride intake for 3- to 5-year-old children was 0.35 ± 0.19 mg/day (0.021 ± 0.012 mg/kg body weight).

Conclusions:

• Preschool children in Yokkaichi, Japan, exhibit low total fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice.
• The findings suggest that fluoride exposure from these sources is within a range that likely supports dental health benefits without significant risk of fluorosis.
• Further research may be warranted to confirm these findings across different regions and age groups.