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Fluorometric tooth monitoring

 Glow!
 
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Anyone who has played with a black light will have noticed that teeth glow. Recently, with the help of a cooperative dog, I determined that dog teeth do not glow. This dog resides in an area without fluoridated water.

I propose that the glow of teeth is produced by fluoride, both applied in toothpaste and ingested with fluoridated water. I predict that a very young baby in an area without fluoridated water would initially have nonglowing teeth.

This glow could be used to monitor adequate fluoridation. There is no doubt an ideal amount of fluoride in teeth - making them optimally hard but not brittle. Less glow would mean more toothbrushing or supplimental fluroide - too much glow would mean you should cut back.

—bungston, Sep 20 2006

Patent: Toothbrush for creating a whitening effect http://www.freshpat...hp?type=description
"...an ultraviolet light source is used for directing ultraviolet light against the teeth so that the whitening effect would be created and easily visible to the user" [ldischler, Sep 20 2006]

Fluorescence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence
[webfishrune, Sep 20 2006]

Dora's toothpaste http://www.colgate....oraTheExplorer.cvsp
For ages 2 and up. [bungston, Sep 24 2006]

[link]






       //I propose that the glow of teeth is produced by fluoride, both applied in toothpaste and ingested with fluoridated water.//   

       You are indeed right Bungs', fluoride does fluoresce. This is used as a method of detecting flouride presence already.   

       However, the "glow" from teeth is more directly associated with the optical brighteners that are put into toothpaste precisely for this effect. Many reasearchers now beleive these are dangerous and ireversably bind to the human body. The same is true for washing powders. This is the main motivation for the sale of washing powders and toothpastes that do not contain optical brightners.
—webfishrune, Sep 20 2006
   

       fluoride fluoresces? Ya think? Could it possibly be more than a coincidence?
—Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 20 2006
   

       <quote>Fluorescence is named after the mineral fluorite, composed of calcium fluoride, which often exhibits this phenomenon.</quote>   

       See link
—webfishrune, Sep 20 2006
   

       One could test whether tooth glow is produced by fluoride or by optical whiteners by checking young children - toddlers use toothpaste gels that do not (I think) have the whiteners found in grownup toothpastes, but do have fluoride.   

       /fluoride fluoresces? Ya think? / - you're killing me, GB.
—bungston, Sep 20 2006
   

       //but do have fluoride.//   

       Young childrens toothpaste (below seven years) does not contain fluoride. Fluoride posioning affects young children more and because of their smaller body mass a smaller amount is damaging than in adults.   

       Fluoride is only recommended for those over seven years of age.
—webfishrune, Sep 21 2006
   

       It seems to me that if a municipality puts fluoride in the water, it is pretty certain that kids younger than 7 will be getting fluoride. Unless they all stick to milk and Perrier.   

       [web], linked for you is a fine site detailing Colgate's Dora the Explorer toothpaste, which contains fluoride.
—bungston, Sep 24 2006
   
      
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