The literature on effect of fluoride on dental caries is well discussed in contrast to periodontal tissues. However, a recent review has explored an epidemiological association between fluorosis and periodontal disease, but also the influence of fluorosis on periodontal structures along with the comparison of influence of periodontal treatment on fluorosed and non fluorosed teeth. During progression of periodontitis, there is a possibility of microhardness, mineral and histologic changes in cementum. Considering the higher incidence of periodontitis in endemic fluorosed area around Davangere, there is an opportunity to study the cemental changes due to fluorosis which would influence the initiation and progression of periodontal disease. Hence the aim was to study the histology of fluorosed and nonfluorosed cementum.
A total of 24 healthy nonfluorosed and fluorosed orthodontically extracted premolars were collected to assess and compare the histology of fluorosed versus non fluorosed cementum using light microscope.
The results of the study showed that the thickness of acellular cementum in nonfluorosed teeth (23.88±11.77 microns) was found to be more than in fluorosed teeth (17.69 ±8.98 microns) but was statistically non-significant. Histologically, density of cells in cellular cementum of nonfluorosed teeth (4.36±1.27) was found to be statistically highly significant than in fluorosed teeth (1.60±1.01).