Dentin Fluoride as a Biomarker for Childhood Fluoride Intake

描述(申请人提供)：在过去的30多年里，龋齿的减少是显著的，主要是从向供水中引入氟化物开始的。获得更多牙齿护理、改善口腔卫生、在专业牙科产品中加入氟化物以及含氟牙膏也有助于减少龋齿。不幸的是，龋齿仍然是儿童和成人的一个重大问题，特别是在弱势群体中。美国国立卫生研究院主办的两个研讨会对全身氟化物暴露模式的变化表示关切，并注意到氟斑牙的患病率和严重程度有所增加。因此，监测儿童的氟化物摄入量是极其重要的，以便帮助科学家和政策制定者就如何更好地平衡龋齿预防和氟斑牙风险做出更明智的决定。研究不同氟摄入量水平的氟中毒的一个主要障碍是缺乏一种准确和实用的方法来测量联合氟化物摄入量，包括横断面和累积性。我们相信，在脱落的第二磨牙中发现的牙本质氟水平可以作为一个准确和有用的生物标记物来监测婴儿和儿童期间累积的全身性氟暴露。这项资助的主要假设是，剥离的乳第二磨牙的牙本质氟化物是衡量累积氟化物摄入量的良好指标。从爱荷华州氟化物研究(IFS)收集和存储的剥离乳磨牙可用于本研究，这是一组独特的剥离牙齿，将与先前收集的详细的纵向氟化物摄入量数据相结合。因此，准确的氟摄入量可以与IFS参与者的剥离牙齿的牙本质氟化值相匹配。初步研究表明，使用酸消化和微扩散方法是测量牙本质氟的合适技术。这项应用的主要目的是确定牙本质氟水平，并评估从出生到大约9岁之间牙本质氟水平和氟摄入量之间关系的强度。其次，这些数据也将根据早萌和晚萌恒牙与氟斑症的关系的强度进行研究。最后，我们将评估牙本质氟化物与恒牙早萌和晚萌的关系的强度。因此，这项研究将全面评估牙本质氟作为儿童累积氟摄入量的生物标志物的效用，包括与氟中毒和龋齿的关系。 公共卫生相关性：该项目意义重大，因为它可以为政策制定者提供一个基础，通过使用牙本质氟化物水平作为儿童累积氟化物摄入量的生物标记物，平衡通过使用氟化物预防龋齿的战略和氟斑牙的风险。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The reduction in dental caries over the past 30+ years has been remarkable and started largely with the introduction of fluoride to the water supply. Increased access to dental care, improved oral hygiene, fluoride incorporation into professional dental products and fluoridated toothpaste have also aided in this decline in tooth decay. Unfortunately, dental caries remains a substantial problem for children and adults, particularly in disadvantaged populations. Two NIH-sponsored workshops have expressed concern over the changing patterns of systemic fluoride exposures and noted an increase in the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor the intake of fluoride in children in order to help scientists and policymakers to make better informed decisions about the best ways to balance dental caries prevention versus dental fluorosis risk. A major obstacle in the study of fluorosis with various levels of fluoride intake is the absence of an accurate and practical method for measuring combined fluoride intake, both cross-sectionally and cumulatively. We believe that the dentin fluoride levels found in exfoliated primary second molars can serve as an accurate and useful biomarker to monitor cumulative systemic fluoride exposures during infancy and childhood. The main hypothesis of this grant is that the dentin fluoride of exfoliated primary second molars is a good measure of the cumulative fluoride intake. Collected and stored exfoliated primary 2nd molars from the Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS) available to use in this study are a unique set of exfoliated teeth which are to be coupled with detailed, longitudinal fluoride intake data previously collected. Thus, accurate measures of fluoride intake can be matched with dentin fluoride values of the exfoliated teeth of the IFS participants. Preliminary studies have shown that use of an acid digestion and micro-diffusion methodology are suitable techniques to measure dentin fluoride. The primary aims of this application are to determine dentin fluoride levels and assess the strength of the relationships between dentin fluoride levels and fluoride intake from birth to about age nine. Secondarily, these data will also be looked at in terms of the strength of the relationships with fluorosis in the early-erupting and late-erupting permanent teeth. Finally, we will assess the strength of the relationships between dentin fluoride and caries in the early-erupting and late-erupting permanent teeth. Thus, this study will comprehensively assess the utility of dentin fluoride as a biomarker for cumulative childhood fluoride intake, including relationships with fluorosis and caries. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project is significant in that it can provide a foundation on which policy makers can balance strategies for dental caries prevention through fluoride use with the risks of dental fluorosis by using dentin fluoride levels as a biomarker for cumulative childhood fluoride intake.