Urinary fluoride excretion by preschool children in six European countries

• Published in: Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology
• Main Authors: Ketley, Clare E., Cochran, Judith A., Holbrook, W. Peter, Sanches, Leonor, Van Loveren, Cor, Oila, Anna‐Maria, O'Mullane, Denis M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2004
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0528.2004.00141.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1600-0528.2004.00141.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1600-0528.2004.00141.x

Abstract ‐ Objective: To measure and compare 24‐h urinary fluoride excretion in children aged 1.5‐3.5 years from European study sites and to use these data to estimate the 24‐h fluoride intake. Method: Twenty‐four‐hour urine samples were collected from 3‐year‐old children ( n = 86) who were already participating in a European multicentre study. Samples were collected from Cork, Ireland ( n = 19) where the water is fluoridated to a concentration between 0.8 and 1.0 ppm and from five sites with a water fluoride concentration <0.15 ppm: Knowsley, England ( n = 18); Oulu, Finland ( n = 18); Reykjavik, Iceland ( n = 4); Haarlem, the Netherlands ( n = 6); Almada/Setubal, Portugal ( n = 21). The volume of the samples was measured; they were analysed for fluoride concentration and the 24‐h urinary fluoride excretion was calculated. From this an estimate of the daily fluoride intake was made. Results: It was found that the mean fluoride excretion in response to the usual conditions of fluoride intake in the children in the nonfluoridated areas ranged from 0.16 mg (±0.08) in Oulu to 0.33 mg (±0.27) in Almada/Setubal with an overall mean of 0.23 mg (±0.19). The mean 24‐h fluoride excretion in fluoridated Cork was 0.37 mg (±0.11). There was a significant difference between the fluoride excretion in the nonfluoridated areas and that in the fluoridated areas, and the data were broadly in agreement with WHO standards. Conclusions: The daily urinary fluoride excretion and estimated fluoride intake in these children appeared to be within acceptable limits.