Fluorine determination in human healthy and carious teeth using the PIGE technique

The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the fluorine concentration in human teeth from two different populations, living in the Portuguese quite isolated islands of Acores: S. Miguel and Terceira. Both populations have similar dietary habits, similar occupational activities, mostly rural, and the age of both populations is more or less the same, around 40 years. No chronic diseases were registered in any of the donors. The two groups are exposed to different levels of fluorine in drinking water. Terceira island has moderate fluorine concentration levels (1-2 mug g(-1)) while S. Miguel island is known for the high fluorine concentration levels in its water (> 3 mug g(-1)), especially in one area known as Furnas. Thirty-three teeth, 17 healthy and 16 carious without restoration (14 incisors and canines, 7 premolars and 12 molars), were collected and analyzed for the determination of fluorine concentration in the dentine region, using the nuclear reaction F-19(p, alpha gamma)O-16. The teeth were cross-sectioned along the vertical plane and polished, in order to obtain a smooth and plane surface of about 1 mm thickness. In this work an association between caries prevalence and fluorine content of drinking water is discussed and the variation of fluorine concentration among different types of teeth (canines and incisors, premolars, molars) and physical state (carious and non-carious) is examined. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.