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/headli
nes/14119172.html
Con: Fluoride in the Water
Supply
 Examples of Dental Fluorosis

http://neevio.com/Fluoride/Images/fluoride_effects_web_30cm.jpg
 Example of Child with Skeletal
Fluorosis

http://selianlh.habari.co.tz/ortho_institute/Fluorosis_pre-op.jpg
 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.