Abstract
Differences in fluoride concentration might be related to analogous variations in caries prevalence, but unconfirmed suggestion that fluoride concentration in the surface enamel of males is higher than in females seemed potentially important in this respect. No subsequent data having been published, the present study was undertaken in order to make a similar comparison between fluoride concentrations in the surface enamel of young male vs. female subjects.
The material consisted of premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic purposes from 9 and 10-year-old children. Twenty-four of the teeth were from males (13 unerupted and 11 erupted) and 32 from females (19 unerupted and 13 erupted). Windows on the enamel surface were exposed to acid and F and P concentrations were determined using microsampling and analytical techniques (previousely described by Weatherellet al., 1973).
Three sites on the buccal surface and one site in the centre of the lingual surface were examined and fluoride gradients were calculated. Sex differences were observed at the buccal occulusal site at the depth of 10-20μm from the enamel surface and fluoride concentrations in females were high compared with males.
