Does fluoride in drinking water delay tooth eruption?

Objectives The objectives of this study are to determine the effect of fluoride exposure on permanent tooth eruption patterns as well as to understand its effect on caries attack rate by accounting for the number of erupted tooth surfaces. Methods We analyzed data from the 1986‐1987 National Survey of Oral Health of US Schoolchildren to determine the mean number of erupted permanent teeth and permanent first molars according to fluoride level in drinking water. The analysis included 13,348 children aged 5‐17 years with a history of single residence. We also estimated the attack rate (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces/surfaces at risk) for fluoride deficient, suboptimal, and optimally fluoridated areas adjusting for covariates. Multivariable statistical analyses were performed to control for potential confounders. Results By age 7, almost all permanent first molars had erupted. The adjusted mean number of erupted permanent first molars per child were 3.81, 3.67, and 3.92 in areas with