Dental Fluorosis and its Extended Effects

Abstract

Fluorosis disease is a serious public health problem, affecting almost 60 million people in 19 states of the 35 states and Union territories in India, in which 6 million or more are children in the age group of 6–14 y [1]. Earlier reports on Fluorosis have been focusing on fluoride (F) entry to the body through drinking F contaminated water, drawn through hand pumps, tube wells and open wells. However, in recent years, information is emerging on F entry to the body through sources other than water viz. (i) food and food products, spiced with black rock salt with 157 ppm F; (ii) use of fluoridated dental products and (iii) industrial emission of F dust and fumes. Discolouration of teeth known as Dental Fluorosis (DF) is the overtly visible sign of excess F ingestion by children. The genesis of DF may commence from intrauterine life when the mother was consuming F in higher quantities during the period of tooth germ eruption i.e., 5–6 mo of gestation. The DF discolouration would be visible in the permanent teeth. There are however, a few reports, on DF in milk teeth. This communication is focusing on the publication appearing in the Indian Journal of Pediatrics on ‘Prevalence of Dental Fluorosis among primary school children in rural areas in Karera block, Madhya Pradesh’ [2]. The problem of DF with an objective to classify DF in primary school children (age 5–12 y) in a few villages in Madhya Pradesh, indicating the percentage of boys and girls afflicted, is reported. Though F levels in water is published elsewhere, for sake of understanding, the lowest and highest F levels in untreated ground water checked by a reliable standard procedure of using Ion Meter is reported. It is also stated that DF examination is done by Dentists. It would have been informative for the target audience if details of DF is provided and described. As such information is missing, a brief description is provided below to provide clarity in the understanding of DF [3].