Abstract

Human enamel development of the permanent teeth takes place during childhood and stresses encountered during this period can have lasting effects on the appearance and structural integrity of the enamel. One of the most common examples of this is the development of dental fluorosis after childhood exposure to excess fluoride, an elemental agent used to increase enamel hardness and prevent dental caries. Currently the molecular mechanism responsible for dental fluorosis remains unknown; however, recent work suggests dental fluorosis may be the result of activated stress response pathways in ameloblasts during the development of permanent teeth. Using fluorosis as an example, the role of stress response pathways during enamel maturation is discussed.

• Related Studies :

  • Histone acetyltransferase promotes fluoride toxicity in LS8 cells.

    Previously we demonstrated that fluoride increased acetylated-p53 (Ac-p53) in LS8 cells that are derived from mouse enamel organ epithelia and in rodent ameloblasts. However, how p53 is acetylated by fluoride and how the p53 upstream molecular pathway responds to fluoride is not well characterized. Here we demonstrate that fluoride activates

  • Fluoride Alters Klk4 Expression in Maturation Ameloblasts through Androgen and Progesterone Receptor Signaling.

    Fluorosed maturation stage enamel is hypomineralized in part due to a delay in the removal of matrix proteins to inhibit final crystal growth. The delay in protein removal is likely related to reduced expression of kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4), resulting in a reduced matrix proteinase activity that found in fluorosed

  • Dental fluorosis: variability among different inbred mouse strains.

    Concurrent with the decline in dental caries has been an increase in the prevalence of dental fluorosis, a side-effect of exposure to greater than optimal levels of fluoride during amelogenesis. The mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of dental fluorosis are not known. We hypothesize that genetic determinants influence an individual's

  • Dental fluorosis and a polymorphism in the COL1A2 gene in Mexican children.

    Highlights Dental fluorosis is a public health problem in the communities evaluated. The rs 412777 polymorphism in the COL1A2 gene was found in Mexican children. An association between the COL1A2 gene polymorphism and dental fluorosis was found. The genetic variant evaluated represents a risk factor to develop dental fluorosis. OBJECTIVE:

  • Fluoride exposure alters Ca2+ signaling and mitochondrial function in enamel cells.

    Fluoride ions are highly reactive, and their incorporation in forming dental enamel at low concentrations promotes mineralization. In contrast, excessive fluoride intake causes dental fluorosis, visually recognizable enamel defects that can increase the risk of caries. To investigate the molecular bases of dental fluorosis, we analyzed the effects of fluoride

• Related FAN Content :

  • Mechanisms by Which Fluoride Causes Dental Fluorosis Remain Unknown

    When it comes to how fluoride impacts human health, no tissue in the body has been studied more than the teeth. Yet, despite over 50 years of research, the mechanism by which fluoride causes dental fluorosis (a hypo-mineralization of the enamel that results in significant staining of the teeth) is not

  • Dental Fluorosis Is a "Hypo-mineralization" of Enamel

    Teeth with fluorosis have an increase in porosity in the subsurface enamel ("hypomineralization"). The increased porosity of enamel found in fluorosis is a result of a fluoride-induced impairment in the clearance of proteins (amelogenins) from the developing teeth. Despite over 50 years of research, the exact mechanism by which fluoride impairs amelogin

  • Diagnostic Criteria for Dental Fluorosis: The Thylstrup-Fejerskov (TF) Index

    The traditional criteria (the "Dean Index") for diagnosing dental fluorosis was developed in the first half of the 20th century by H. Trendley Dean. While the Dean Index is still widely used in surveys of fluorosis -- including the CDC's national surveys of fluorosis in the United States -- dental

  • Racial Disparities in Dental Fluorosis

    In 2005, the Centers for Disease Control published the results of a national survey of dental fluorosis conducted between 1999 and 2002. According to the CDC, black children in the United States have significantly higher rates of dental fluorosis than either white or Hispanic children. This was not the first time that black children were found to suffer higher rates of dental fluorosis. At least five other studies -- dating as far back as the 1960s -- have found black children in the United States are disproportionately impacted by dental fluorosis.

  • Dental Fluorosis Impacts Dentin in Addition to Enamel

    Dental fluorosis is a mineralization defect of tooth enamel marked by increased subsurface porosity. The enamel, however, is not the only component of teeth that is effected. As several studies have demonstrated, dental fluorosis can also impair the mineralization of dentin as well. As noted in one review: "The fact that