Fluoride concentration in toothpastes of the Mexican market

Introduction. The most widely used method for applying fluoride (F) topically is the fluoridated toothpaste. Its early use in large quantities is a risk factor for dental fluorosis. Objective: to determine the actual concentration of F in toothpastes sold in the Mexican market. Material and methods. Sixty-five different commercial toothpastes were analysed using the F ion-specific electrode technique. Results. The range of the F content was from 0 to 2 053 ppm. Of them, 16.92% were toothpastes for infant use (range= 0-1153 ppmF). Mexican toothpastes had a mean of 879 +/- 599.2 ppmF and imported toothpastes have a mean of 619.7 ppmF; 54.5% of the infantile toothpastes presented F concentrations above 730 ppm and in 40% of the analyzed products, annotation on F content was found. Conclusions. Our results showed a wide variation in F concentration and suggest the need to implement policies to regulate the F concentration in these products. It is important that all the manufactured dentifrices show in the label and package the total F content of the product and the recommended doses will be printed, in order to prevent dental fluorosis.