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ABSTRACT
Dental fluorosis which is characterized by discolored, blackened, mottled or chalky-white teeth is a clear indication of overexposure to fluoride during childhood when the teeth were developing. These effects are not apparent if the teeth were fully grown prior to the fluoride overexposure, therefore the feet that an adult may show no signs of dental fluorosis does not necessarily mean that his or her fluoride intake is within the safety limit.
Chronic intake of excessive fluoride can lead to severe and permanent bone and joint deformations of skeletal fluorosis. Early symptoms include sporadic pain and stiffness of joints, headache, stomachache and muscle weakness can also be warning signs. The next stage is osteo-sclerosis (hardening and calcifying of the bones) and finally the spine, major joints, muscles and nervous system are damaged.
Dental and skeletal fluorosis is irreversible and no treatment exists for these conditions, hence only remedy is prevention by keeping fluoride intake within safe limits.
Keywords: Fluoride, Dental Fluorosis, Skeletal Fluorosis, Rajasthan
INTRODUCTION
Fluorosis is an endemic disease resulting from excess intake of fluoride either through drinking water, food or dentrifices. The safest minimum daily intake of fluoride is not known. Chronic fluorine intoxication through drinking water containing above 10 ppm of fluorine results in pathological changes of bone leading to skeletal fluorosis.1 While dental fluorosis can be easily recognized, the skeletal involvement is not clinically obvious until the advanced stage of crippling is reached.2
The beneficial and the detrimental effects of fluoride naturally present in water were well established by the early 1940s. High levels of fluoride present in concentrations up to 10 mg/1 were associated with dental fluorosis (yellowish or brownish striations or mottling of the enamel) while low levels of fluoride i.e. less than 0.1 mg/1 were associated with high levels of dental decay, although poor nutritional status is also an important contributory factor.3
In endemic areas, poor nutritional status coupled with prolonged exposure to fluoride tend to aggravate the fluoride toxicity lowering the safe level of fluoride intake even further.3
The effects of fluoride intoxication are related to the total amount of fluoride ingested. Earlier, fluoride intoxication was accounted to be only through water however food like fish, barley, rice, turmeric, tea etc. also contain good amount...