The clinical research and the metabolic and therapeutic concerns related to the administration of fluoride for osteoporotic lesions are reviewed. Two or three daily administrations of 22.4 mg of sodium fluoride (NaF) have been shown to stimulate osteoblastic activity. When accompanied by supplemental calcium (Ca) new normal bone is deposited leading to an increase in total bone mass. The Ca should be given daily in 600 to 1,000 mg quantity at times separate from the fluoride ingestion to avoid formation of insoluble calcium fluoride. Vitamin D may also be prescribed to aid Ca absorption. The precise mechanism of action is not yet known. Promising clinical results have been obtained with a variety of osteoporotic conditions including “otosclerosis.”
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