Fluoride into an Indispensable Ingredient in Costa Rica
At the beginning, in 1984, the first concern was to evaluate the oral health status of the population. It was verified caries prevalence in 7 to 13 year-old children, who showed a DMF too high for this age group - DMF was 9.13 and 11.30 to 12 to 13 year-old children respectively. In the same year, an analysis on salt consumption concluded that Costa Ricans had an average of 10g of salt per person per day.
In 1985 diagnostic researches kept on observing the average fluoride concentration in schoolchildren urine and in the water. Results confirmed the presence of 0.34mgF/l in school children and water carried a concentration of 0.2mgF/l. These results were consistent to set up a salt fluoridation program.
Some regions such as Cantones de Tierra Blanca and Llan Grande de la Provincia de Cartago showed higher levels of fluoride in the water, what made researchers choose for the sale of regular salt in these areas, supported by a specific campaign on the non-consumption of fluoridated salt.
The experience of other countries in this kind of measure, in Switzerland for instance, was not feasible at first for Costa Rica. In other countries, salt is totally refined, while most part of the salt in Costa Rica can be considered raw, with still 3% of humidity. Besides, the salt used by the population contained high degrees of impurities, such as dust, plants residues and even bacteria. Only after 1985, due to the project's set up, did the process of quality control start.
Only three companies were selected to take part in the national program - Coonaprosal (National Cooperative of Salt Products), Cooprosal (National Cooperative of Salt Producers), and Sal Diamante SA. Once tests of quality control and iodine addition were concluded, it was started the process of adding a solution of potassium fluoride directly to the dry salt. The mixture was carried out in a kind of mixer with individual blades, which was imported from the Netherlands. This first process led to an increase of humidity in the product that was not consistent with the rules specs (2% of humidity). Considering this, the alternative was to mix dry potassium fluoride, instead of the solution. Although the fluoride had to be ground to avoid salt hardening, the alternative was successful when mixing time was established to 20 minutes.
With this stage completed, the Costa Rican Institute of Investigation and Education on Nutrition and Health - INCINSA, the Pan-American Health Organization and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, all coordinated with the Ministry of Health, decided to set up salt fluoridation definitely. The lack of rules or decrees that regulated the salt program concentrated all the success of the project in the hands of the participating organizations. Salt companies had a special role in this process of improving Costa Ricans oral health status, by taking upon all the additional costs in the set up of labs, in the hiring of personnel and in the improvement in the process and quality of salt production.
Only in 1989 were quality standards defined, specially physic-chemical characteristics, besides the addition of some 250mgF/Kg of salt. The determination of this dose was based on national studies on fluoride concentration in urine and water, on salt consumption per person and on other countries experience.
It was also decided to use sodium fluoride, which costs less than potassium fluoride, in a previous mixture with iodine. The result was a surprising improvement in the mixture process and in the dosage of fluoride within the limits established by the salt companies. In 1991, after all these good results, three more companies joined the program to manufacture mixers with national technology - one less barrier to the establishment of fluoridation programs not only in Costa Rica but in other countries unable to import high cost equipment.
In 1985 diagnostic researches kept on observing the average fluoride concentration in schoolchildren urine and in the water. Results confirmed the presence of 0.34mgF/l in school children and water carried a concentration of 0.2mgF/l. These results were consistent to set up a salt fluoridation program.
Some regions such as Cantones de Tierra Blanca and Llan Grande de la Provincia de Cartago showed higher levels of fluoride in the water, what made researchers choose for the sale of regular salt in these areas, supported by a specific campaign on the non-consumption of fluoridated salt.
The experience of other countries in this kind of measure, in Switzerland for instance, was not feasible at first for Costa Rica. In other countries, salt is totally refined, while most part of the salt in Costa Rica can be considered raw, with still 3% of humidity. Besides, the salt used by the population contained high degrees of impurities, such as dust, plants residues and even bacteria. Only after 1985, due to the project's set up, did the process of quality control start.
Only three companies were selected to take part in the national program - Coonaprosal (National Cooperative of Salt Products), Cooprosal (National Cooperative of Salt Producers), and Sal Diamante SA. Once tests of quality control and iodine addition were concluded, it was started the process of adding a solution of potassium fluoride directly to the dry salt. The mixture was carried out in a kind of mixer with individual blades, which was imported from the Netherlands. This first process led to an increase of humidity in the product that was not consistent with the rules specs (2% of humidity). Considering this, the alternative was to mix dry potassium fluoride, instead of the solution. Although the fluoride had to be ground to avoid salt hardening, the alternative was successful when mixing time was established to 20 minutes.
With this stage completed, the Costa Rican Institute of Investigation and Education on Nutrition and Health - INCINSA, the Pan-American Health Organization and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, all coordinated with the Ministry of Health, decided to set up salt fluoridation definitely. The lack of rules or decrees that regulated the salt program concentrated all the success of the project in the hands of the participating organizations. Salt companies had a special role in this process of improving Costa Ricans oral health status, by taking upon all the additional costs in the set up of labs, in the hiring of personnel and in the improvement in the process and quality of salt production.
Only in 1989 were quality standards defined, specially physic-chemical characteristics, besides the addition of some 250mgF/Kg of salt. The determination of this dose was based on national studies on fluoride concentration in urine and water, on salt consumption per person and on other countries experience.
It was also decided to use sodium fluoride, which costs less than potassium fluoride, in a previous mixture with iodine. The result was a surprising improvement in the mixture process and in the dosage of fluoride within the limits established by the salt companies. In 1991, after all these good results, three more companies joined the program to manufacture mixers with national technology - one less barrier to the establishment of fluoridation programs not only in Costa Rica but in other countries unable to import high cost equipment.