Severe dental fluorosis and cognitive deficits – now peer reviewed

Last May I raised the possibility that the much touted relationship of small IQ declines for children living in areas with naturally high fluoride in drinking water could be associated with severe dental fluorosis and not a chemical neurotoxicant (see Confirmation blindness on the fluoride-IQ issue). In November I repeated this argument because the recently published work by Choi et al (2015) provided evidence of a statistically significant relationship of cognitive deficits to severe dental fluorosis for Chinese children living in high fluoride areas  (see Severe dental fluorosis the real cause of IQ deficits?).
I am pleased to report the journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology (which published the Choi et al., 2015 paper) have now accepted a peer-reviewed letter to the Editor from me on the subject:

Perrott, K. W. (2015). Severe dental fluorosis and cognitive deficits. Neurotoxicology and Teratology.

Don’t limit possible hypotheses

My letter warns:

“cognitive deficits could have many causes or influences – genetic, environmental and/or social. Researchers need to be careful not to limit their possible hypotheses or research approaches. Unfortunately Choi et al. (2015) appear to be doing just this with their plans for a larger scale study targeted only at “fluoride’s developmental neurotoxicity.””

It points out:

“Choi et al. (2012) did highlight the need for further research. Broadbent et al. (2014) showed no effect of fluoride on IQ at the optimum drinking water concentrations used in CWF [community water fluoridation]. However, most of the reports reviewed by Choi et al. (2012) considered data from areas of endemic fluorosis where drinking water fluoride concentrations are higher.”

“Choi et al. (2015) did not find a statistically significant association of drinking water fluoride concentration with any of the neuropsychological measurements. But they did find one for moderate and severe dental fluorosis with the WISC-R digit span subtest.”

This suggests a possible hypothesis involving the effects of negative physical appearance and not a chemical neurotxocant:

“Emotional problems in children have been related to physical anomalies, including obvious oral health problems like severe tooth decay (Hilsheimer and Kurko, 1979). Cognitive deficits can sometimes be related to emotional problems and subsequent learning and behavior problems. Quality of life– particularly oral health related quality of life – is negatively related to tooth decay and severe dental fluorosis. It is possible that negative oral health quality of life feelings in children could induce learning and behavior difficulties which are reflected in neuropsychological measurements.”

Difference between areas of endemic fluorosis and CWF

This hypothesis is applicable to children in areas of endemic fluorosis but is not relevant to areas where CWF is used:

“Sixty percent of the children in the Choi et al. (2015) pilot study had dental fluorosis graded as moderate or severe. This likely reflects the endemic fluorosis of the study area. Only a few percent of individuals in areas exposed to the optimum levels of drinking water fluoride used in CWF have dental fluorosis that severe. For example, a recent oral health survey in New Zealand found 2% of individual had moderate dental fluorosis and 0% had severe dental fluorosis (Ministry of Health, 2010). Similarly a US survey found only 2% of individuals exhibited moderate dental fluorosis and less the 1% severe dental fluorosis (Beltrán-Aguilar et al., 2010).”

“Tooth decay and other oral defects negatively impact a child’s quality of life as assessed by children and parents (Barbosa and Gavião, 2008; Nurelhuda et al., 2010; de Castro et al., 2011; Aguilar-Díaz et al., 2011; Biazevic et al., 2008; Abanto et al., 2012; Krisdapong et al., 2012; Bönecker et al., 2012; Locker, 2007). Quality of life impacts have also been found for dental fluorosis, but there is a marked difference in physical appearance and quality of life assessments for children with moderate/severe dental fluorosis compared with those having none/questionable or very mild/mild forms.

The physical appearance of moderate and severe forms of dental fluorosis is generally considered undesirable so we could expect these forms to be associated with poor quality of life and this appears to be the case (Chankanka et al., 2010; Do and Spencer, 2007; Chikte et al., 2001). In contrast, most studies report no effect or a positive effect of questionable, very mild and mild forms of dental fluorosis on quality of life (Do and Spencer, 2007; Chankanka et al., 2010; Peres et al., 2009; Biazevic et al., 2008; Büchel et al., 2011; Michel-Crosato et al., 2005).

Given the different patterns of dental fluorosis severity in areas of endemic fluorosis and areas where CWF is practiced and fluoride intakes are likely to be optimal it seems reasonable to expect a difference in ways fluoride intake influences health-related quality of life and possibly cognitive factors.”

My purpose in this letter was to argue that other mechanisms besides chemical neurotoxicity should be considered in these studies. I hope researchers take this on board and look forward to the response of Choi and her co-workers to this suggestion.

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