Fluorosis Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

Dental Fluorosis

Question. Write short note on florosis.

Answer. Fluorosis is a toxic manifestation of chronic fluoride intake.

“Importance of studying fluorosis for better oral and skeletal health: Questions explained”

It can be described as a diffse symmetric hypomineralization disorder of ameloblasts.
Fluorosis is irreversible and only occurs with exposure to floride when enamel is developing.
Instead of being a normal creamy-white translucent color, florosed enamel is porous and opaque.
Teeth can resemble a ghostly white chalk colored (light refractivity is greatly reduced because the enamel’s prism structure is defective).
Cloudy striated (lines of demarcation) enamel, white specks or blotches, ‘snow-capping’, yellowish-brown spots, or brown pits on teeth are all characteristic of florosis.
In its more severe form, florosed enamel is structurally weak (britte) and prone to erosion and breakage, especially when drilled and filed.
Even in the milder forms, there is increased enamel attition.
To prevent florosis from occurring in the most prominent and/or most susceptible teeth, the most critical time to avoid floride exposure is the fist three to six years of a child’s life.

“Understanding the role of fluoride in causing fluorosis: Q&A explained”

Fejerskov et al. (1977) stated that the effct of floride on enamel formation can follow several possible pathogenic pathways:

dental fluorosis

“Common challenges in diagnosing fluorosis effectively: FAQs provided”

Effct on nucleation and crystal growth in all stages of enamel formation
Effct on calcium homeostasis generally with dental florosis as an indirect result
- - After the tooth erupts and calcifiation has been completed, ingested floride does not have adverse dental consequences.
  - Fluorosis is seen to affct mainly permanent dentition and very high floride levels (>10 ppm) are required in drinking water for it to cross placental barrier and affct primary dentition.