Effect of Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water on Dental Fluorosis in Southwest Saudi Arabia.

Gotam Das,Priyanka Saluja,Ayed Hassan G Alqarni,Amit Tirth,Suraj Arora,Hitesh Vij,Mohammed Kafeel,Ali Algahtani,Vineet Tirth,Shashit Shetty Bavabeedu

doi:10.3390/ijerph17113914

Abstract

This study was intended to evaluate the fluoride concentration in drinking water and its effect on dental fluorosis in Southwest Saudi Arabia. Water samples were gathered rom wells, filtration plants and commercial brands (bottled water) in distinct urban and rural areas of Asir region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Overall, 63 water samples were collected from 12 locations and 9 brands of bottled water. ExStik® FL700Fluoridemeter was used in the analysis of water samples for fluoride levels. The total number of screened patients for dental fluorosis, aged between 9 and 50 years, was 1150; among them, 609 were males and 541 were females. Dean’s index criteria were used to examine the patients for dental fluorosis. The results revealed that fluoride levels varied between 0.03 and 3.8 ppm. People who drank well water displayed increased fluoride levels (>0.81 ppm). The prevalence of dental fluorosis was established to be 20.43% among the total number of examined patients. The findings of this study show very mild to moderate dental fluorosis prevail among the patients who consume well water in the Asir region.

Highlights

Fluorine, which is extensively circulated in the environment, is a highly electronegative ion, so it can and quickly make bonds with the positive elements
The current study aims to evaluate fluoride levels in drinking water and the occurrence of dental fluorosis in the Southwest region of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)
To overcome any variability across seasons, five samples were gathered from the wells and the filtration plants and three water samples were taken for water samples were gathered from the wells and the filtration plants and three water samples were bottled water

Summary

Introduction

Fluorine, which is extensively circulated in the environment, is a highly electronegative ion, so it can and quickly make bonds with the positive elements. A natural element, is readily dissolved in water, soil and air, and does not occur on its own in nature but occurs relatively as fluoride [1]. Fluoride is beneficial for humans, an excess of this ion can produce numerous adverse effects on human health [1,2]. Surface water is usually low in fluoride, with a value lower than. 1.5 mg/L, groundwater can contain an increased level of fluoride depending on geographical. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 3914; doi:10.3390/ijerph17113914 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion