determination of fluoride in the bottled drinking waters in iran

fluoride is recognized as an effective agent for dental caries prevention. generally, the main source of fluoride intake is drinking water. in this study, fluoride content in 18 commercial brands of bottled waters was investigated. six samples from each batch of 18 iranian commercial brands of bottled waters were supplied. the fluoride content of samples was analyzed by fluoride ion selective electrode. the mean ± sd fluoride content of the bottled waters was 0.202 ± 0.00152 mg/l with a range from 0.039 to 0.628 mg/l which was lower than the accepted limits for fluoride content of drinking water (1 mg/l). this finding suggested that in the region which water has high fluoride content, drinking bottled water is preferred to drinking tap water, as it could lower the risk of fluorosis. however, the risk of dental caries increases in people who mainly drink bottled waters; thus, they should use fluoride supplements.