Chemicals in drinking water supposed culprit for tooth decay in children
Certain manufactured chemicals persist in the environment and cause may health grievances, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which was recently discovered to affect paediatric dental health. American scientists from the School of Dentistry at West Virginia University (WVU) have linked higher concentrations of PFAS – from drinking water systems – to greater tooth decay in children, with one compound, in particular, leading to dental cavities.
About 630 children were assessed for this purpose – they were part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and provided blood samples to be analysed for PFAS, in 2013 and 2014. Of the seven PFAS types studied, perfluorodecanoic acid was the one that correlated with higher levels of tooth decay thanks to its long molecular structure and strong chemical bonds.
WVU’s Constance Wiener and Christopher Waters think that perfluorodecanoic acid may disrupt the healthy development of a tooth’s hard enamel, which leaves teeth susceptible to decay.
“The good news is that, in our study, about half of the children did not have any measurable amount of PFAS; perhaps due to certain PFAS no longer being made in the US,” Wiener said.
The scientists noted that children who brushed their teeth once a day or less frequently had significantly higher tooth decay than those who brushed at least twice daily. Children who had not been to the dentist within the previous year were also twice as likely to have higher rates of tooth decay compared to children who had.
As such, even though parents cannot control what is in their children’s drinking water, they can still protect their children’s teeth by fostering good dental hygiene and scheduling regular dental checkups.
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