Abstract

Fluorosis from brick-tea was discovered during the last decade in western and northern parts of China. Dental fluorosis has a high prevalence among children in these brick-tea endemic areas, but skeletal fluorosis does not normally become apparent until adulthood. In July 2002 we examined 132 primary school children, age 8 to 13 years, in a low-fluoride-water area of Naqu County, Tibet, and found that 111 of the children (84.1%) had dental fluorosis from drinking traditional brick-tea. Among these 111 children, 96 (86.5%) were found by radiological examination to have developmental skeletal abnormalities in the wrist. We view these findings as warning signs of early-stage skeletal fluorosis indicating that dental fluorosis in children should be considered more than a matter of cosmetic concern.

• Related Studies :

  • Endemic fluorosis with neurological complications in a Hampshire man

    We describe below a case of skeletal fluorosis occurring in a Hampshire man who presented with neurological complications, and whose condition was appreciably improved by operation. We believe that this is the first case of its kind to be reported from Britain, and also the first case of skeletal fluorosis

  • Effects of smoking, use of aluminum utensils, and tamarind consumption on fluorosis in a fluorotic village of Andhra Pradesh, India

    A field study was undertaken to determine effects of tamarind, the use of aluminium (Al) cooking utensils, and smoking on dental and skeletal fluorosis in the randomly selected fluoride (F) endemic village of Buttlapally in the Nalgonda District, Andhra Pradesh, India, where the F level in the drinking water is

  • The pathogenesis of endemic fluorosis: Research progress in the last 5 years.

    Fluorine is one of the trace elements necessary for health. It has many physiological functions, and participates in normal metabolism. However, fluorine has paradoxical effects on the body. Many studies have shown that tissues and organs of humans and animals appear to suffer different degrees of damage after long-term direct

  • Clinical aspects of fluorosis in horses

    Horses grazing in areas where cattle and sheep had developed severe fluorosis were examined clinically. Of those examined, 12 horses of different ages and with various degrees of fluorosis were selected for necropsy. Selected tissues were examined grossly, histologically, and radiographically. Major fluorotic lesions occurred only when the horses ingested

  • Endemic Fluorosis in the Nellore District of South India.

      About the month of April 1936 the district health officer, Nellore, Dr. Lakshminarayana, had his attention drawn by the health inspectors of Podili and Darsi ranges of the Nellore district to a disease characterized by a definite train of symptoms and which was very prevalent in the district. The most

• Related FAN Content :

  • Exposure Pathways Linked to Skeletal Fluorosis

    Excessive fluoride exposure from any source -- and from all sources combined -- can cause skeletal fluorosis. Some exposure pathways , however, have been specifically identified as placing individuals at risk of skeletal fluorosis. These exposure pathways include: Fluoridated Water for Kidney Patients Excessive Tea Consumption High-Fluoride Well Water Industrial Fluoride Exposure Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals (Voriconazole

  • Skeletal Fluorosis in the U.S.

    Although there has been a notable absence of systematic studies on skeletal fluorosis in the U.S., the available evidence indicates that the consumption of artificially fluoridated water is likely to cause skeletal fluorosis and other forms of bone disease in people with kidney disease and other vulnerable populations.

  • Estimated "Threshold" Doses for Skeletal Fluorosis

    For over 40 years health authorities stated that in order to develop crippling skeletal fluorosis, one would need to ingest between 20 and 80 mg of fluoride per day for at least 10 or 20 years. This belief, however, which played an instrumental role in shaping current fluoride policies, is now acknowledged by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and other US health authorities to be incorrect.

  • Fluoride Content of Tea

    Tea, particularly tea drinks made with lower quality older leaves, contain high levels of fluoride. Because of these high levels, research has found that individuals who drink large amounts of tea can develop skeletal fluorosis -- a painful bone disease caused by excessive fluoride intake. Since skeletal fluorosis is often misdiagnosed by

  • Fluoride & Osteoarthritis

    While the osteoarthritic effects that occurred from fluoride exposure were once considered to be limited to those with skeletal fluorosis, recent research shows that fluoride can cause osteoarthritis in the absence of traditionally defined fluorosis. Conventional methods used for detecting skeletal fluorosis, therefore, will fail to detect the full range of people suffering from fluoride-induced osteoarthritis.