THE RELATION OF FLUORIDE IN THE DRINKING WATER TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF FLUORIDE IN ENAMEL

¹ Eastman Dental Dispensary and University of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y.

1. A comparison was made of the fluoride content of successive layers of enamel from groups of deciduous teeth, unerupted permanent teeth, and erupted permanent teeth of different age groups. The teeth were collected from persons who were born and had lived continually in cities where the water supply contains 0.1, 1.0, or 5.0 ppm fluoride.

2. In all groups, a higher fluoride concentration was found in the enamel surface than in the inner enamel layers.

3. At levels of 0.1 and 1.0 ppm fluoride in the water supply, there was an increase in the fluoride content of the outer as well as the inner enamel with age while at 5.0 ppm the increase in fluoride with age was only evident in the inner enamel.

4. An increase in the fluoride content of the water supply results in an increase both in the amount of fluoride deposited in the enamel during tooth formation and in that acquired posteruptively.

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