A study on the correlation between urinary fluoride/creatinine ratio, fluoride concentration of drinking water, urine and fingernail in preschool children / 대한구강보건학회지

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to confirm the efficacy of the urinary fluoride concentration/creatinine ratio for monitoring fluorine intake in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities. METHODS: The correlations among the fluoride concentration in drinking water and that in the urine and fingernails of 52 preschool children (age, 60-72 months) from fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities were analyzed. RESULTS: The urinary fluoride concentration/creatinine ratio had a relatively high correlation with the fluoride concentration in drinking water (Pearson's correlation coefficient, 0.606; P0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that the urinary fluoride concentration/creatinine ratio in children can be utilized as an index for monitoring excess fluoride intake in fluoridated communities.