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Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique logoLink to Canadian Journal of Public Health = Revue Canadienne de Santé Publique
. 1997 Nov 1;88(6):388–391. doi: 10.1007/BF03403912

The Effect of Water Fluoridation on the Bone Mineral Density of Young Women

Cathy M Arnold 17,27,, Donald A Bailey 17,37, Robert A Faulkner 17, Heather A McKay 17, Robert G McCulloch 47
PMCID: PMC6990321  PMID: 9458565

Abstract

Introduction: Osteogenic effects of therapeutic fluoride have been reported; however, the impact of exposure to low level water fluoridation on bone density is not clear. We investigated the effect of long-term exposure to fluoridated water from growth to young adulthood on bone mineral density (BMD).

Methods: BMD was measured in 24 healthy women from Regina (fluoride 0.1 mg/L) and 33 from Saskatoon (fluoride 1.0 mg/L), with no differences between groups for height, weight, lifestyle or dietary factors.

Results: Saskatoon women had significantly higher mean BMD at total anterior-posterior lumbar spine (APS) and estimated volumetric L3 (VLS), with no difference at total body (TB) or proximal femur (PF).

Conclusion: Exposure to water fluoridation during the growing years may have a positive impact on axial spine bone density in young women.

Footnotes

This study was funded by the Health Services Utilization and Research Commission.

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