Prospective Role of Calcium Supplementation in Prevention of Fluorosis: A Study in Some North Indian Villages

More than a hundred million people from almost twenty-five countries, including India, are affected by fluorosis. An assessment of fluoride in water, a prospective study of dental fluorosis and the role of calcium in preventing or ameliorating dental fluorosis through a long-term community study in endemic high fluoride area in Northern India was done. Water survey from different areas was done to identify high fluoride area in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, India. House to house survey of a population of almost 5000 people was done. Biochemical tests were performed in 50 dental fluorotic and 50 non-fluorotic randomized subjects. Clinical and biochemical status was recorded after six months of calcium supplementation. Our results have shown that 28.64% population had dental fluorosis (total fluorosis: 43%), the highest in 13-15 years age group. After six months of calcium supplementation, 44% of cases showed reversal of dental fluorosis, whereas in 40% of them disease did not progress further. An increase in serum calcium and a significant decrease in urinary fluoride was observed post supplementation. In this first large-scale prospective community study of its kind, it is demonstrated that long-term administration of calcium can reverse dental fluorosis especially in children with early grades of fluorosis. Calcium may protect tooth against damage from high fluoride intake and reduces dental fluorosis. With the increase in the prevalence of dental fluorosis, calcium can prove a cheap and effective method for the prevention and treatment of dental fluorosis.