Fluorosis is extremely common, with 41% of adolescents having definite fluorosis, and another 20% "questionably" having fluorosis according to the Centers for Disease Control. surveys conducted by the National Institute of<unk>  and Craniofacial Research in the USA between 1986 and 1987 and by the Center of Disease Control between 1999 and 2004 are the only national sources of data concerning the prevalence of<unk> . Before the 1999-2004 study was published, CDC published an interim report covering data from 1999 to 2002. + CDC findings on children and adolescents Deans Index 2002 Questionable fluorosis 11.5% Very mild fluorosis 21.68% Mild fluorosis 6.59% Moderate to severe fluorosis 3.26% Total confirmed fluorosis prevalence 31.65% Total confirmed and questionable fluorosis prevalence 43.15% The U.S. Centers for Disease Control found a 9 percentage point increase in the prevalence of confirmed<unk>  in a 1999-2002 study of American children and adolescents than was found in a similar survey from 1986-1987 (from 22.8% in 1986-1987 to 32% in 1999-2002). In addition, the survey provides further evidence that African Americans suffer from higher rates of fluorosis than Caucasian Americans. The condition is more prevalent in rural areas where drinking water is derived from shallow wells or hand pumps. It is also more likely to occur in areas where the drinking water has a fluoride content greater than 1 ppm (part per million). + Dietary reference intakes for fluoride Age group Reference weight kg (lb) Adequate intake (mg/day) Tolerable upper intake (mg/day) Infants 0–6 months 7 (16) 0.01 0.7 Infants 7–12 months 9 (20) 0.5 0.9 Children 1–3 years 13 (29) 0.7 1.3 Children 4–8 years 22 (48) 1.0 2.2 Children 9–13 years 40 (88) 2.0 10 Boys 14–18 years 64 (142) 3.0 10 Girls 14–18 years 57 (125) 3.0 10 Males 19 years and over 76 (166) 4.0 10 Females 19 years and over 61 (133) 3.0 10 If the water supply is fluoridated at the level of 1 ppm, one must consume one litre of water in order to take in 1 mg of fluoride. It is thus improbable a person will receive more than the tolerable upper limit from consuming optimally fluoridated water alone. Fluoride consumption can exceed the tolerable upper limit when someone drinks a lot of fluoride-containing water in combination with other fluoride sources, such as swallowing fluoridated toothpaste, consuming food with a high fluoride content, or consuming fluoride supplements. The use of fluoride supplements as a prevention for tooth decay is rare in areas with water fluoridation, but was recommended by many dentists in the UK until the early 1990s. In November 2006 the American<unk>  Association published information stating that water fluoridation is safe, effective and healthy; that enamel fluorosis, usually mild and difficult for anyone except a<unk>  health care professional to see, can result from ingesting more than optimal amounts of fluoride in early childhood; that it is safe to use fluoridated water to mix infant formula; and that the probability of babies developing fluorosis can be reduced by using ready-to-feed infant formula or using water that is either free of fluoride or low in fluoride to prepare powdered or liquid concentrate formula. They go on to say that the way to get the benefits of fluoride but minimize the risk of fluorosis for a child is to get the right amount of fluoride, not too much and not too little. "Your dentist, pediatrician or family physician can help you determine how to optimize your child's fluoride intake."
Dental fluorosis
Skeletal fluorosis
Chronic periodontitis
Oral candidiasis
Dental plaque
Dental abscess
Periodontal disease
Ebullism