Fluoride Concentration of Water Supply in Eastern Saudi Arabia: A Preliminary Study

BACKGROUND: Community water fluoridation is known to play a significant role in enhancing oral health by reducing the incidence of dental caries. However, the level of fluoride in the supplied public water in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine water fluoride levels at the main sources supplying water to households and schools in two major cities (Dammam and Al-Khobar) of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: From the Directorate of Water Agency and Directorate of Education, the following were identified as the main sources of public water supply in Dammam and Al-Khobar: the water agency, public water tanks and four contracted companies. Two samples were collected from each of these six identified water sources at two different time points (in January and July 2016; 2 samples/site/time point; N = 24) using 500 mL polythene bottles. Each sample was analyzed using an ion chromatography system at different detection limits (including the lowest detection limit of 0.065 ppm) to determine the fluoride level. RESULTS: There was no fluoride detected in any sample even at the lowest detection limit, indicating that fluoride levels in the studied water samples were <0.065 ppm. CONCLUSION: This study found that in the cities studied, fluoride levels, if any, are considerably below the optimum recommended level for the prevention of dental caries (i.e., 0.7 ppm).