LESION SCORING IN FIELD VOILE TEETH: APPLIECATION TO THE BIOLOGICAL MONTORING OF ENVIRONMENTAL FLUORIDE CONTAMINATION

摘要

The relationship between fluoride-induced lesions, measured using an incremental scoring system, and fluoride concentration was investigated in the teeth of the field ovle (Microtus agrestis). Both the magnitude of lesion score and the severity of observed lesions in both incisor and molar teeth was correlated with the respective tissue fluoride concentration. This relationship was observed not only in animals trapped from sites contaminated by indsutrial fluorides, but also those bred and maintained under laboratory conditons and consuming fluoride in either diet or drinking water. Although some variation occurred between field and laboratory animals as to the mean fluoride concentrations in the incisor or molar for each specific lesions score, this may result in part from diferences in the nature of the assimilable fluoride in laboratory diets comapred to those consumed by wild animals.