RESUMO
Dental fluorosis is a developmental disturbance of dental enamel, caused by successive exposures to high concentrationsof fluoride during tooth development, leading to enamel with lower mineral content and increasedporosity. The severity of dental fluorosis depends on when and for how long the overexposure to fluoride occurs,the individual response, weight, degree of physical activity, nutritional factors and bone growth. The risk periodfor esthetic changes in permanent teeth is between 20 and 30 months of age. The recommended level for dailyfluoride intake is 0.05 - 0.07 mg F/Kg/day, which is considered of great help in preventing dental caries, actingin remineralization. A daily intake above this safe level leads to an increased risk of dental fluorosis. Currentlyrecommended procedures for diagnosis of fluorosis should discriminate between symmetrical and asymmetricaland/or discrete patterns of opaque defects. Fluorosis can be prevented by having an adequate knowledge of thefluoride sources, knowing how to manage this issue and therefore, avoid overexposure (AU)
