The Fluoride Content of Some Frequently Used Teabags in Iran

Statement of Problems: Fluoride is one of the best known and most effective substances in caries prevention; however, excessive consumption of this ion can cause fluorosis. Tea is reported as one of the beverages with high concentration of fluoride and teabags which are frequently used in Iran are rich in this ion. The aim of this study was to determine the fluoride content of some most widely used teabags in Iran. In this descriptive study, six packages of six different brands of tea were purchased. One teabag of each package was placed in a crystal cup and 100cc of boiling distilled water was added. The teabags were shaken for the time recommended by the manufacture and upon removal, buffer TISAB by ratio 1/1 was added to all the solutions. The fluoride content of each sample was measured by fluoride specific electrode and the results were analyzed using SPSS. The fluoride differences between the groups were analyzed using ANOVA test. The mean fluoride content of all the samples was 2/02±1/06 ppm. Maximum and minimum fluoride contents were found in Ahmad teabag (3/27±0/23 ppm) and zarin teabag (0/7±0/02), respectively (p <0.01). This study showed that the fluoride content of teabags is high; hence, heavy tea consumers should use brands with lesser fluoride.