Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Micro-dissection of Enamel Organ from Mandibular Incisor of Rats Exposed to Environmental Toxicants
Published on: March 29, 2018
Fluoridated drinking water and maturation of permanent teeth at age 12
L Campagna1, A Tsamtsouris, K Kavadia
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Abstract:
Dental age was evaluated in 88 children aged 12 years + 6 months in both areas of Boston with fluoridated drinking water and nonfluoridated areas surrounding Athens, Greece. Fluoridation of drinking water in the Boston areas was 1.0 ppm, a level considered 'optimal' in the USA. Girls from the fluoridated Boston area were shown in this study to have a significantly (p<0.05) delayed dental age when compared to their chronological age according to the tables of Nolla. Boys from the Boston area and boys and girls from the Athens area showed no significant difference when comparing dental age to chronological age.
Related Concept Videos
Essential Minerals for Bone Health
Calcium and Phosphorus
Calcium is a critical component of bones, especially in the form of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Since the body cannot make calcium, it must be obtained from the diet. However, calcium cannot be absorbed from the small intestine without...
Role of Vitamins in Maintaining Bone Health
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is involved in the process of bone remodeling. Retinoic acid, the active metabolite of Vitamin A, has nuclear receptors in osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone remodeling.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 acts as a cofactor during the formation of osteoblast-related proteins, such as osteocalcin. Vitamin B12 plays a role...
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Minerals
Development of the Oral Microbiota

