subject: Dental Fluorosis [print this page] Dental fluorosis refers to a harmful condition caused by the excessive intake of fluoride during the tooth forming years. Dental fluorosis occurs as a result of the excessive ingestion of fluoride, either through fluoride in the water supply or through other sources. Dental fluorosis causes damage to the enamel-forming cells, called ameloblasts. Consequently, a mineralization disorder of the teeth occurs by which the porosity of the sub-surface enamel gets increased.
The damage in tooth development, caused by overexposure to fluoride, takes place mainly between the ages of 3 months to 8 years. Excessive intake of fluoride can cause white spots, and in most severe cases, brown stains or pitting or mottling of enamel. Severe cases of Dental Fluoroisis is caused by continued exposure to water that is naturally fluoridated to levels that are very much above the prescribed levels, or by constant exposure to other fluoride sources such as brick tea or pollution from high fluoride coal. Generally, the consumption of Fluoride can exceed the recommended upper limit when a person drinks a lot of fluoride containing water in combination with various other fluoride sources, such as fluoridated toothpaste, eating food with a high fluoride content, or intake of fluoride supplements.
H.T. Dean's fluorosis index, developed in 1942, is presently the most universally accepted classification system. A persons fluorosis score is based on the severest form of fluorosis found on two or more of his/her teeth. The incidence of Dental Fluorosis is highly prevalent in rural areas where drinking water is obtained from shallow wells or hand pumps and in those regions where drinking water has fluoride content that exceeds 1 ppm (part per million). The poor consumption of calcium among children is yet another prominent reason for Dental Fluorosis.
Prevention and Treatment
Some of the most commonly used treatments for Dental Fluorosis include Tooth bleaching, Microabrasion, Conservative Composite Restorations or Porcelain Veneers. While Bleaching and Microabrasion are used for superficial staining, conservative restorations are essentially used for more unaesthetic situations. Dental fluorosis can also be prevented by reducing the amount of fluoride intake to below the tolerable upper limit.
