NEW YORK, USA/Leipzig, GERMANY: US scientists have warned that young children who consume large amounts of fluoride are at risk of fluorosis. A study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association says that increasing mineral intake through drinking water, toothpaste, powdered baby food or beverages may increase the risk of fluorosis. Fluorosis can cause discoloration of the teeth, making them less strong. The results of this study confirm previous beliefs that dental fluorosis is associated with excessive fluoride intake in early childhood. The new study, conducted by researchers at Iowa State University in the United States, found that infants between the ages of 3 months and 9 months who ate infant formulas and beverages with mineral water added to them ingested too much fluoride, increasing the risk of fluorosis, which is a popular type of baby food in the United States. Researchers recommend that infants reduce their intake of such mixtures so that they can avoid consuming too much fluoride and reduce the risk of fluorosis, which would also reduce the national epidemic of fluorosis. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that one-third of U.S. children between the ages of 12 and 15 suffer from some type of fluorosis. The United States also has the highest percentage of fluoride added to drinking water in the world.