Effect of Fluoridatred Milk to Fingernail Fluoride

Fluoridated milk (200 ml with 2.5 µg/g F) has been consumed in public primary school in Bangkok during school days since 2001 for caries prevention. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of drinking fluoridated milk (F-milk) to the concentration of fingernail fluoride as biomarker. Methods: There were 21 children randomized from one F-milk school and 18 children from another non-F milk school, age 6-7 year boys and girls with informed consent from their parents, participated as experimental and control groups respectively. Fingernail clippings from the children were collected by school teachers in early June as baseline data (beginning of the education semester and prior to milk consumption), followed by 4 & 6 months after consuming milk. Fluoride concentration in fingernail were extracted with HMDS facilitated diffusion method and analyzed with fluoride electrode. Results: The result showed that the baseline fingernail fluoride of the two groups was not significant different (1.4±0.26 µg/g in F-milk and 1.5±0.39 µg/g in non-F milk groups, p=0.35). However, ANOVA demonstrated significantly (p<0.01) higher fluoride content in fingernail after 4&6 months consuming F-milk (1.8±0.42, 1.9±0.69 µg/g) than non-F milk group (1.5±0.35, 1.6±0.43 µg/g)respectively. Conclusion: The study concluded that fingernail fluoride could be increased from drinking fluoridated milk similar to other studies from fluoridated water and fluoride toothpaste which then support the fingernail fluoride as biomarker of fluoride exposure. (Supported by Thammasat University Dental School Research and Borrow Foundation)