Associations between longitudinal fluoride intakes from birth to age 23 and multi-row detector computed tomography bone densitometry outcomes at age 23.

Objectives

To assess the relationships between longitudinal fluoride intakes and bone densitometry outcomes in young adults.

Methods

Data were analyzed from the Iowa Fluoride Study and Iowa Bone Development Study, which followed 1,882 infants from birth in 1992. Daily fluoride intakes were assessed using detailed questionnaires sent every 1.5–6?months, and multi-row detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of distal tibia were obtained from 330 participants aged 23?years. Sex-specific bivariate and multivariable associations with MDCT outcomes were examined using linear regression. Because of the multiple statistical analyses being conducted, p-values?<?0.01 were considered statistically significant.

Results

In fully adjusted analyses, no statistically significant (p?<?0.01) or suggestive (0.01?<?p?<?0.05) associations were found between period-specific or cumulative fluoride intake and bone measures for either sex, although there were suggestive positive relationships in unadjusted analyses.

Conclusions

Longitudinal fluoride intakes had little association with bone measures at age 23. As there were no adverse effects from fluoride intake on bone health in young adults, results support the continued use of fluorides, particularly community water fluoridation is the most cost-effective method of dental caries prevention.

Full-text study online at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jphd.12643

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the NIH grants M01-RR00059, R01-DE09551, R01-DE12101, R03-DE023784, R56-DE012101, UL1-RR024979, UL1-TR000442, UL1-TR001013; Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust; Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation; and Dr. Levy’s Wright–Bush-Shreves Endowed Professor Fund at the University of Iowa. A special thanks to Chandler Pendleton for her help with the data management and statistical part of this project. This work was done for completion of the thesis requirements for the Master of Science degree in Dental Public Health in the Graduate College of the University of Iowa.