Fluoride contaminated air and dental caries

1. To make a comprehensive study of dental caries of children in an area using high-fluoride coal and low-fluoride drinking water and, 2. Make parallel studies in areas with a. low-fluoride water and low-fluoride coal and b. high-fluoride water and low-fluoride coal.

Methods:

A total of 597 school children, respectively 7 – 8 years old (primary teeth), and 12-13 years old (permanent teeth) were included in the present study. Two hundred and seventy two children came from an area with high-fluoride coal and low-fluoride water (area A); 198 from an area with low-fluoride content in the coal as well as in the water (area B); and 127 from an area relying on low-fluoride coal and high-fluoride water (area C). Assessment of dental caries was made by the use of dmf-t or DMF-T indexes, respectively. Analyses were carried out to ascertain the fluoride content of indoor air, drinking water, locally used coal, and staple foods.

Results:

The fluoride content of indoor air in Area A was about 18 times higher than that in areas B and C. As compared to areas B and C, the coal from area A contained about 20 times more fluoride. The fluoride concentration of drinking water was similar and low in areas A and B (0.48 mg/l and 0.43 mg/l respectively) while the fluoride content of drinking water from area C was significantly higher (3.12 mg/l). As compared to findings in children from area B, the prevalence of dental caries and the mean dmf-t were lower in the primary dentition of children in area A. As compared to areas A and C, the caries experience in deciduous as well as permanent teeth was significantly higher in area B.

Conclusions:

Airborne fluoride seems to help protect against dental caries.