[Fluoride effect on bone formation--an overview].

The purpose of this review is to evaluate our present knowledge of fluoride effect on bone formation on basis of the literature. It is likely that fluoride affects the remodelling processes of the skeleton as well as growth related bone formation. During bone remodelling the amount of bone and osteoid tissue is increased by alteration of the balance between resorption and formation. This finding may be accompagnied by impaired mineralization. In studies of fluoride effect on growth related bone formation a number of quantitative histologic alterations have been observed. These include reduction in epiphyseal plate thickness and changes in cellular morphology as well as a retardation of mineralization. The pathogenetic mechanisms behind the observed effects and the variation in tissue response are still unexplained. Fluoride may have a direct cellular effect causing disturbances in cell morphology and metabolism, but the effects may also involve local supracellular mechanisms as well as the general homeostasis of the individual.