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Alimentary fluoride intake in preschool children
Edgar Oganessian1, Romana Ivancakova, Erika Lencova
1Institute of Dental Research, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, and General Teaching Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
BMC Public Health
|October 7, 2011
Summary
Preschool children’s daily fluoride intake from food is safe, reaching optimal levels when considering swallowed toothpaste. This highlights the need for careful dietary advice regarding fluoride for caries prevention in young children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Public Health Nutrition
- Fluoride Toxicology
Background:
- Assessing background alimentary fluoride intake in preschool children is crucial for effective caries prevention strategies.
- Understanding daily fluoride consumption from food and beverages is essential for public health initiatives.
- This study addresses the need to evaluate fluoride intake in young children to inform preventive dental care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the daily fluoride intake of preschool children through analysis of duplicate food and beverage samples.
- To estimate total daily fluoride intake by including fluoride from swallowed toothpaste.
- To provide data for optimizing safe and effective caries preventive measures.
Main Methods:
- A double-plate method was used to measure daily alimentary fluoride intake in 36 children (average age 4.75 years).
- Dietary records and duplicated food/beverage portions were collected over 24 hours, repeated after six months.
- Fluoride was extracted from food using microdiffusion and measured potentiometrically with a fluoride ion-selective electrode.
Main Results:
- Average daily fluoride intake was 0.389 mg/day at baseline and 0.378 mg/day after six months.
- Expressed per kilogram of body weight, intake was 0.020 mg/kg/day and 0.018 mg/kg/day, respectively.
- Total estimated daily intake, including swallowed toothpaste, ranged from 0.554-1.594 mg/day (0.027-0.077 mg/kg/day).
Conclusions:
- Observed daily fluoride intake in the studied children met the threshold for safe levels.
- Including potential intake from swallowed toothpaste, alimentary intake reached the optimum range for caries prevention.
- Caution is advised when recommending fluoride-containing dietary components or supplements for preschool children to balance benefits and risks.
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