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Urinary fluoride excretion by preschool children in six European countries

Clare E Ketley1, Judith A Cochran, W Peter Holbrook

  • 1Department of Clinical Dental Sciences, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. C.E.Ketley@liverpool.ac.uk

Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology
|March 16, 2004
PubMed

Insights

This study measured 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion in European children, finding that fluoride intake levels were within acceptable limits for both fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. The results align with World Health Organization standards.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Fluoride intake is crucial for dental health, but optimal levels require careful monitoring.
  • Urinary fluoride excretion serves as a biomarker for recent fluoride intake.
  • Assessing fluoride intake in young children across different European regions is important for public health evaluations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To measure and compare 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion in children aged 1.5-3.5 years across various European study sites.
  • To estimate daily fluoride intake based on 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion data.
  • To evaluate fluoride intake in relation to water fluoridation levels and established health standards.

Main Methods:

  • Collected 24-hour urine samples from 86 three-year-old children across six European sites with varying water fluoride concentrations.
  • Measured urine volume and analyzed fluoride concentration to calculate 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion.
  • Estimated daily fluoride intake from the calculated urinary fluoride excretion data.

Main Results:

  • Mean 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion in non-fluoridated areas ranged from 0.16 mg to 0.33 mg, with an overall mean of 0.23 mg.
  • Mean 24-hour urinary fluoride excretion in the fluoridated area (Cork, Ireland) was 0.37 mg.
  • Significant differences in fluoride excretion were observed between fluoridated and non-fluoridated sites, consistent with World Health Organization (WHO) standards.

Conclusions:

  • Daily urinary fluoride excretion and estimated fluoride intake in the studied European children were within acceptable limits.
  • The findings support the safety and adequacy of fluoride intake in the surveyed populations.
  • Urinary fluoride excretion data can be a valuable tool for monitoring population-level fluoride intake.
Abstract

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