The fluorosis conundrum: bridging the gap between science and public health

Abstract

Fluorosis, a chronic condition brought on by excessive fluoride ingestion which, has drawn much scientific attention and public health concern. It is a complex and multifaceted issue that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite decades of scientific research elucidating the causes, mechanisms, and prevention strategies for fluorosis, there remains a significant gap between scientific understanding and public health implementation. While the scientific community has made significant strides in understanding the etiology and prevention of fluorosis, effectively translating this knowledge into public health policies and practices remains challenging. This review explores the gap between scientific research on fluorosis and its practical implementation in public health initiatives. It suggests developing evidence-based guidelines for fluoride exposure and recommends comprehensive educational campaigns targeting the public and healthcare providers. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for further research to fill the existing knowledge gaps and promote evidence-based decision-making. By fostering collaboration, communication, and evidence-based practices, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and the public can work together to implement preventive measures and mitigate the burden of fluorosis on affected communities. This review highlighted several vital strategies to bridge the gap between science and public health in the context of fluorosis. It emphasizes the importance of translating scientific evidence into actionable guidelines, raising public awareness about fluoride consumption, and promoting preventive measures at individual and community levels.

Keywords:

• Fluorosis
• dental health
• health promotion
• water fluoridation
• health education

Authors contributions

Conceptualization: Sachindra Kumar, Nitesh Kumar, Smita Shenoy, Krishna Murti; Manuscript writing: Sachindra Kumar, Vishal Chhabra, Manmeet, Saranya K; Figures: Sachindra Kumar, Nitesh Kumar; Review: Sachindra Kumar, K Sreedhara Ranganath Pai, Smita Shenoy, Harish Kumar B, Ravindra Shantakumar Swamy, V. Ravichandiran, Nitesh Kumar.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

All the data was from publicly available search engines, namely Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science. These articles are available online.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Indian Council of Medical Research.