Laura Helena Pereira Machado Martins

Fluoride intake by children at risk for the development of dental fluorosis: comparison of regular dentifrices and flavoured dentifrices for children.

The aim of the present study was to determine fluoride intake by children at risk of dental fluorosis according to the type of dentifrice used. Forty-two volunteers aged between 20 and 30 months, from 2 kindergartens, were supervised while brushing their teeth with regular dentifrices (nominally 1,500 ppm F) and dentifrices flavoured for children (nominally 1,100 ppm F), brushing 3 times with each type in random order to minimize bias. The amount of fluoride ingested was determined by subtracting the weight of dentifrice recovered from the weight used and calculating the mean of the 3 brushings. Fluoride was analyzed with specific electrodes. Parents were asked how often the children brushed their teeth and the daily tooth brushing frequency was used to calculate the daily fluoride intake. The average fluoride intake using regular dentifrices and those flavoured for children was 0.567 ± 0.300 and 0.630 ± 0.320 mg F/day, respectively, corresponding to doses of 0.046 ± 0.023 and 0.051 ± 0.026 mg F/kg/day (p > 0.05). Fluoride intake was slightly higher with the use of dentifrices flavoured for children. Moreover, the dose to which children were exposed with either type of dentifrice was very close to that which is considered the limit (0.05–0.07 mg F/kg/day).

Influence of rinsing and expectoration after toothbrushing on fluoride dose and ingested amount by use of conventional and children's fluoride dentifrices

The purpose of this study was to assess the amount of ingested fluoride and the fluoride dose to which children are subjected during toothbrushing with a conventional dentifrice (1500 ppm F) and a childrens dentifrice with special flavor (1100 ppm F) and evaluate the influence of rinsing and expectoration after brushing. Six brushings followed by 6 residue collections (3 per dentifrice) were performed by 42 Brazilian children (aged 20 to 30 months). The concentration of fluoride in the residues and dentifrices was determined. The amount ingested was obtained by the difference principal. 64.3% of the children did not expectorate or rinse after brushing. For both toothpastes, no significant difference was found for fluoride doses comparing children that rinsed to those that did not rinse (p > or = 0.05). When childrens toothpaste was used, children who did not expectorate were exposed to a higher dose than those who did expectorate (p = 0.032). The same was not observed when conventional toothpaste (p = 0.081) was used. In conclusion, rinsing and expectoration after brushing had no influence on the dose of fluoride to which children were exposed by use of the dentifrices. However, expectoration was directly associated to the fluoride dose when the childrens dentifrice was used.