Abstract
It may be difficult for small and medium cities to obtain information about the fluoride content of public water, because of the lack of equipments and technicians. This study aimed to analyze the fluoride levels of the water supplied by the public treatment stations of 40 cities situated in the northwest region of São Paulo State, during a period of 6 months, to verify if fluoridation occurs in a continuous manner and if the fluoride levels are within the recommended. Maps of the water distribution system were obtained from the water treatment companies and utilized to randomize the addresses of the collection sites, so that they included all regions with treated water sources. One water sample by month was collected and analyzed in duplicate using an ion-specific-electrode. Samples with 0.6 to 0.8 mgF/L were considered acceptable. In the 38 cities that regularly provided the samples in the 6 months of the study, water from 144 collection sites was collected and a total of 864 samples were analyzed, of which 61.81 percent were classified as unacceptable. It was observed that 33 cities performed fluoridation but in 78.79 percent of these cities there were variations in the fluoride level among the sites and in the same site during the period of study. One can conclude that most of these cities do not control the fluoride levels in the public water, since fluoridation occurs in a discontinuous manner and in most of the situations not within the recommended concentrations.
Highlights
The effect promoted by the use of fluoride on caries control is known all around the world . 2,5-7,21,27Many vehicles were proposed for both individual and community programs of fluoride use
Special attention must be given to the fluoride amount added in public water supplies, knowing that not the drinking water itself may contribute to the fluoride intake, and the water used to manufacture or to cook foods and drinks, to prepare bottles, to rinse the teeth after brushing, in association with other sources of fluoride intake like supplements, foods and even incidental ingestion of toothpaste[18]
This study aimed to analyze the fluoride levels of the water supplied by the public treatment stations of the 40 cities included in the DIR VI-SP, to verify if fluoridation occurs in a continuous manner and if the levels of fluoride are within the recommended
Summary
The effect promoted by the use of fluoride on caries control is known all around the world . 2,5-7,21,27Many vehicles were proposed for both individual and community programs of fluoride use. The effect promoted by the use of fluoride on caries control is known all around the world . The public water fluoridation is an effective, safe and inexpensive measure, leading to caries reduction of up to 60% . Attenuation in the strength of the method has been reported: 15 to 20 percent, with the spread use of fluoride as a caries-preventive agent, in various forms, especially in dentifrices, and the successful educational and health preventive programs, aiming at dental plaque control . Several health organizations recommend the public water fluoridation in countries with high caries prevalence and inequalities in the access to oral health services, including the International Dental Federation (IDF), International Association for Dental Research (IADR), European Organization for Caries Research (ORCA), Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) . Special attention must be given to the fluoride amount added in public water supplies, knowing that not the drinking water itself may contribute to the fluoride intake, and the water used to manufacture or to cook foods and drinks, to prepare bottles, to rinse the teeth after brushing, in association with other sources of fluoride intake like supplements, foods and even incidental ingestion of toothpaste[18]
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