CHAPTER 12:Effect of Fluoride on Bone Metabolism, Structure and Remodeling

The effects of fluoride on bone tissue are varied and depend on the dose, the experimental exposure time and the chemical compound of fluoride used. The ingestion of fluoride in drinking water for long periods of time has been shown to produce an increase in bone mineral density and a decrease in fracture risk. However, the administration of fluoride tablets has not been shown to have the same effects. Fluoride administration as tablets produces a peak in plasma fluoride concentration that would be responsible for the adverse effects brought by a decrease in the function of the respiratory chain, an increase in superoxide production and finally an increase in oxidative stress. The bone formed in treatments with fluoride tablets resulted in a decrease in bone fracture load, with signs of inflammation and apoptosis. By contrast, the administration of monofluorophosphate did not have the same effects and resulted in an increase in the rate of repair of bone defects in rats.