Abstract
Although fluoride plays an essential role in preventive dentistry because of its cariostatic potential, the excessive consumption of fluoride may result in the adverse health effects of dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal fluorosis. The aims of the present study were (i) to determine the permissible fluoride level relative to air temperature in sixteen cities representing the thirteen administrative regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and (ii) to aid the different authorities in adjusting the fluoride level in their regions to the appropriate levels in order to prevent the occurrence of adverse health effects in humans. The annual mean maximum temperatures (AMMTs) were obtained from the website of the General Authority of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, the Saudi National Portal, that has maintained records of the monthly ambient temperature measurements for the last twenty-two years (January 1995-December 2017). The optimal fluoride level for each administrative region was calculated by the Galagan and Vermillion formula that is used universally to estimate the permissible fluoride level and the allowable water consumption as a function of ambient temperature. The optimal fluoride level in the potable water for the sixteen cities, representing the 13 administrative regions in Saudi Arabia, was calculated to be 0.32-0.42 ppm. The fluoride content of water in Saudi Arabia was found to vary considerably, being high in certain areas, adequate in others, and occasionally being low and needing supplementation. Of the sixteen cities representing the 13 administrative regions, the cities of Al Qassem, Al Riyadh, Hail, and Najran reported levels of 1.11, 1.01, 1.02, and 0.64 ppm, respectively and were found to have an unacceptable level of risk for the occurrence of dental fluorosis.