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Fluoride intake by Brazilian children from two communities with fluoridated water
Saul M Paiva1, Ynara B O Lima, Jaime A Cury
1Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Insights
Young children in Brazil exceeded safe fluoride intake levels from both diet and toothpaste. Daily fluoride intake from toothpaste was higher than from diet, indicating a need for reduced exposure to prevent dental fluorosis.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health
Background:
- Assessing total daily fluoride intake is crucial for young children, especially in developing countries with fluoridated water.
- Fluoride exposure from multiple sources, including diet and dentifrice, requires careful evaluation to prevent adverse effects like dental fluorosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the total daily fluoride intake in young Brazilian children from two communities.
- To compare fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice between the communities.
- To evaluate children's exposure levels against the safe threshold for fluoride.
Main Methods:
- Studied 71 Brazilian children (19-38 months) in communities with fluoridated water (0.6-0.8 ppm).
- Collected 'duplicate-plate' food and beverage samples over 2 days for fluoride analysis using hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) microdiffusion.
- Measured fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice, calculating total daily intake (mg F/kg body weight/day).
Main Results:
- Children in Ibiá had lower dietary fluoride intake than those in Piracicaba (P < 0.05).
- No significant difference in dentifrice fluoride intake was observed between communities.
- In both communities, daily fluoride intake from dentifrice exceeded intake from diet (P < 0.05).
- Most children were exposed to combined fluoride doses above the safe threshold for dental fluorosis.
Conclusions:
- Fluoride intake from diet is influenced by living conditions in these Brazilian communities.
- Intervention measures are necessary to reduce fluoride intake among these children.
- High combined fluoride exposure poses a risk for dental fluorosis in the studied population.
Objectives:
To determine total daily fluoride intake by young children from two communities in a developing country.
Methods:
Fluoride intake from diet and dentifrice was determined for 71 Brazilian children, aged 19-38 months, living in two communities with fluoridated water (0.6-0.8 ppm). The children from Piracicaba attended a full-time day care centre but those from Ibiá did not. Fluoride ingested during tooth brushing was determined, and 'duplicate-plate' samples of all foods and beverages ingested during a 2-day period were collected from which fluoride for analysis was extracted by hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) microdiffusion. The amount of fluoride ingested (mg F/kg body weight/day) from the diet and dentifrice and the combined fluoride intake were calculated. A limit of 0.05-0.07 mg F/kg body weight/day was considered as the safe threshold for fluoride exposure.
Results:
The children from Ibiá had lower amounts of fluoride in their diets than those from Piracicaba (P < 0.05); no differences in the amount of fluoride ingested from dentifrice were found between the communities. In both communities, the daily fluoride intake from dentifrice was higher than that from the diet (P < 0.05). Most of the children from both communities were exposed to a combined dose (diet + dentifrice) of fluoride above the risk threshold for dental fluorosis.
Conclusion:
The data suggest that fluoride intake from diet depends on living conditions, and measures should be implemented to reduce the fluoride intake of these Brazilian children.