Fluoride in Water Supply

Lora Lee Aaron

Kimsey Cooper
Lindsey French
Kayla Kmet
Lindsey Smith
Jacki Strand
 Fluoride Functions
• Protects against dental caries
• Helps prevent demineralization of
bones and teeth
• Effects on pre and post eruptive
teeth
• Adequate Intake
• Deficiencies and Toxicities
•
•
 Pro’s: Fluoride in Water
Supply
• Remineralization of teeth
– Saliva
– Water
– Topical Treatments
• Effects on enamel
• Cariostatic effects on plaque



 Fluoride Research Study
• “Assessment, management, and
prevention of early childhood
caries”
• Administration of topical treatments to
children
– 35% reduction in early childhood caries
– 9 visits in the first 2 years of life
•
Fluoride Varnish
 Fluoride Research Study
• “Dental benefits of limited exposure
to fluoridated water in childhood”
• Administering fluoridated water to
children living in non-fluoridated
communities
– Mineralization effects dentists
observed on teeth
– Limited exposure beneficial
US States with Fluoridated
Water
 Fluoride in Knoxville Water
Supply
• Fluoride was added to Knoxville’s
water supply only 6 years ago, and
since then dental decay in our area
has been reduced by 90%.
•


•
• http://www.volunteertv.com/home/he
adlines/14119172.html
Con: Fluoride in the Water
Supply
 Examples of Dental Fluorosis

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 Example of Child with Skeletal
Fluorosis

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 Objective
• To prove that too much fluoride in the
water supply can be harmful.
•
 Methods
• Experiment 1: Dental Fluorosis and
Caries Experience in Relation to
Three Different Drinking Water
Fluoride Levels in South Africa.
– Children’s dental health examined in
3 different regions in South Africa
 1) Leeu Gamka 3.0 ppm of
fluoride
 2) Kuboes .48 ppm of fluoride
 3) Sanddrif .19 ppm of fluoride
 Results
• Prevalence of Fluorosis
 1) Leeu Gamka 95% (3.0 ppm)
 2) Kuboes 50% (.48 ppm)
 3) Sanddrif 47% (.19 ppm)
• 30% of children in Leeu Gamka had
severe fluorosis.
 -severe fluorosis was only seen in
this region with the exception of one
child.
 Results
 Area n Mean age (years) % caries-free %
Fluorosis free


Sanddrif, 0·19 p.p.m. F 47 11.77 47 3

Kuboes, 0·48 p.p.m. F 115 12.01 50 4
Leeu Gamka, 3·0 p.p.m. F 120 11.48 29 1
 Methods
• Experiment 2: Incidence of Skeletal
Deformities in Endemic Fluorosis.
 -assessed the skeletal deformities as
 result of fluoride in the water supply.
 -people aged 20-80 had been exposed to
 between 2.3 and 22.5 mg/L of fluoride in
their
 drinking water for more than 15 years in
one
 region in India.

 Results
• More people in 30 to 40 and the 50
to 60 age ranges had skeletal
fluorosis compared to the 70 to 80
age range.
• Skeletal fluorosis more common in
males
• Lower socioeconomic group more
affected by skeletal fluorosis.

 Summary
• Studies show excess Fluoride in the
drinking water can be harmful.
• Dental Abnormalities and Skeletal
Deformities associated with highly
fluoridated drinking water.
• Excess Fluoride is positively
correlated with tooth decay.