Abstract

BACKGROUND:  High-concentration topical fluorides are used commonly to with compromised salivary function due to irradiation and chemotherapy.

CASE DESCRIPTION:  The authors describe a 50-year-old man with previously treated cancer who was using tray-applied topical fluoride gel. He complained of gastric symptoms, difficulty in swallowing, leg muscle soreness and knee joint soreness. A computed tomographic scan revealed thickening of the esophageal walls. An upper endoscopy revealed abnormal motility. The motility test indicated high-amplitude peristalsis and hypertensive lower esophageal sphincter, and urine testing indicated high levels of systemic fluoride. The patient’s fluoride regimen was altered, and within a short period his urinary fluoride levels returned to normal and his symptoms resolved.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS:  Clinicians prescribing home-applied high-concentration fluorides need to be cognizant of the symptoms of fluoride toxicity, carefully monitor the patient’s compliance with the treatment regimen, and adjust the dosage or mode of application to control the total ingested dose of fluoride.

• Related Studies :

  • Topical fluorides: effects on physiologic and biochemical processes

    The ingestion of fluoride from dentifrices or mouthrinses can contribute substantially to the total daily intake of the ion, even in communities that provide optimally fluoridated drinking water. It is concluded that the frequent and unsupervised use of these products by children six years of age or younger, especially those living in

  • Recovery from skeletal fluorosis (an enigmatic, American case)

    A 52-year-old man presented with severe neck immobility and radiographic osteosclerosis. Elevated fluoride levels in serum, urine, and iliac crest bone revealed skeletal fluorosis. Nearly a decade of detailed follow-up documented considerable correction of the disorder after removal of the putative source of fluoride (toothpaste). INTRODUCTION: Skeletal fluorosis, a crippling bone

  • Clinical and hygienic evaluation of the combined effect of vibration and fluoride in humans

    By L. Ya. Tartatovskaya, G.N. Samokhvalova, A.G. Antropov Medical Science Centre of Prophylactics and Protection of the Health Workers in Industrial Enterprises, Ekaterinburg, Russia. The study of the combined action of vibration and intense noise, muscular loads and cooling has made it possible to assess the probability of the development of vibration

  • Skeletal fluorosis from instant tea

    INTRODUCTION: Skeletal fluorosis (SF) can result from prolonged consumption of well water with >4 ppm fluoride ion (F(-); i.e., >4 mg/liter). Black and green teas can contain significant amounts of F(-). In 2005, SF caused by drinking 1-2 gallons of double-strength instant tea daily throughout adult life was reported in

  • Fluoride in dental products: safety considerations

    This review summarizes the nature of acute fluoride toxicity, its time-course, and the fluoride doses that are involved. The generally accepted "certainly lethal dose" range for 70 kg adults, i.e., from 5 to 10 g of sodium fluoride or from 32 to 64 mgfluoride/kg, is discussed. Based on recent case reports of fluoride-induced fatalities, it is concluded

• Related FAN Content :

  • Side Effects from Fluoride Gels: Gastric Distress

    Gastric distress -- including nausea, pain, and vomiting -- is one the most common side effects from professional application of "fluoride gels" at the dentist. Patients receiving fluoride gels can swallow more than 20 mg of fluoride from a single treatment -- doses that far exceed the doses that can

  • Fluoride-Induced Damage to Gastric Mucosa in Human Clinical Trials

    When fluoride has been used (at doses of 18-34 mg/day) as an experimental treatment for osteoporosis, gastric pain is one of the two main side effects consistently encountered. To better understand how fluoride causes this effect, researchers have sought to determine how fluoride affects the tissue that lines the gastrointestinal tract. In a

  • Acute Fluoride Exposure from Fluoride Gels

    Fluoride gel (i.e., 1.23% APF) is an acidic, highly concentrated fluoride treatment that dentists apply to patients teeth about two times a year. The gel contains 1.23% fluoride, which equates to 12.3 mg of fluoride for every 1 mL. Since dentists apply anywhere from 4 to 8 mL of gel

  • Fluoride & Gastrointestinal System: The Importance of Fluoride Concentration in Stomach

    The following is an excerpt from the National Research Council's (2006) review of fluoride toxicity: "It is important to realize that GI effects depend more on the net concentration of the aqueous solution of fluoride in the stomach than on the total fluoride dose in the fluid or solid ingested. The

  • Fluoride-Induced Gastric Symptoms in Human Clinical Trials

    In studies where fluoride has been used (at doses of 18-34 mg/day) as an experimental drug for the treatment of osteoporosis, gastrointestinal disturbances are one of the two main side effects consistently encountered. The following are some of the accounts from the published literature: "The use of fluoride in the prophylaxis or