Urinary fluoride concentration in children with disabilities following long-term fluoride tablet ingestion.
A fluoride tablet creates a short, predictable 2-hour urine spike in kids with disabilities—time lab draws wisely.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kids with disabilities took one fluoride tablet every morning at school. Staff collected their urine right before the dose, then again at 2, 4, 6, and 24 hours.
The team repeated this cycle for 18 months to see if the body handled the drug the same way over time.
What they found
Two hours after the tablet, urine fluoride shot up. By the next morning it was back to baseline.
The same quick spike and wash-out happened every time, even after a year and a half.
How this fits with other research
Liu et al. (2013) ran a follow-up RCT with the same tablet and kids. They tracked cavities, not urine, and found one-third fewer caries after 24 months. The 2011 paper shows the “why”: the drug peaks fast and clears daily, so steady dosing keeps teeth safe.
Hong et al. (2018) reviewed tablet tech for autism. Their tablets held learning apps, not fluoride, yet both studies show tablets are easy daily tools for kids with disabilities when staff give them at the same time each day.
Symons (2022) measured red-cell folate in Down syndrome. Like our paper, they used a simple body-fluid test to check long-term micronutrient status. Both remind BCBAs: kids with ID often have unique metabolic curves, so timing labs matters.
Why it matters
If you ever need a urine fluoride spot check, draw it at least four hours after the last tablet; otherwise you will catch the artificial peak and over-call exposure. The quick return to baseline also means missed doses truly leave the body, so daily consistency is key for dental benefit. Share the 2-hour window with parents and school nurses so labs and dosing stay aligned.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Urine is the most commonly utilized biomarker for fluoride excretion in public health and epidemiological studies. Approximately 30-50% of fluoride is excreted from urine in children. Urinary fluoride excretion reflects the total fluoride intake from multiple sources. After administering fluoride tablets to children with disabilities, urinary fluctuation patterns should be investigated. The purpose of this study was to monitor the short and long term fluctuating patterns of urinary fluoride concentration after fluoride tablets were ingested by children with disabilities. Children with disabilities aged 6-12 years old were selected randomly and were divided into three groups: Group A, 1.0mg fluoride tablet, Group B, 0.5mg fluoride tablet, and Group C, control group. The urine samples were collected in the morning (MU) and 2h after fluoride tablets were ingested (AU). Urine was collected on the day prior to fluoride intake (baseline), the first, the third, the fifth and the eighth day of fluoride ingestion for a short term, and once every 6 months for a total of 18 months for long-term observation. The AU sample showed statistically significantly higher concentrations of urine fluoride than those of the MU samples, and no statistically significant difference was noticed in the MU samples among the three groups. Group A showed the highest urinary fluoride concentration (UFC) among the three groups. UFC increased as ingested fluoride tablet dosage increased, and it returned to the baseline level on the following day and persisted throughout the study period.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2011 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.016