[Milk fluoridization efficacy in a controlled study and dental caries experience dynamics in conditions of wide availability of local F-containing means]

Abstract

Cross-over, controlled, randomized and triple-blind study of F-milk efficacy and monitoring of F excretion with urine under conditions of wide availability of fluoride containing toothpastes was performed in Voronezh during last 10 years. F-milk project increasingly covered annually from 10 to 15 thousand of pre-school children. From them 335 children (11 kindergarteners -- age 6 years) regularly consuming F-milk during 3 years and 175 children (6 kindergarteners -- age 6 years) of the control group were examined. Statistics of the received data with 2 tail t-test has shown that between dmf (1.59+/-1.82) in children consuming F-milk and dmf (2.58+/-2.67) in children of the control group there is significant difference (p<0.001) with 96% of the statistical power. When implementing F-milk for 10 years running there were collected and analyzed data on caries experience in children 3, 6, 9 and 12 years (2004 vs. 1994). There is considerable reduction of caries incidence in all age groups in 2004, probably due to F containing toothpastes wide use and very active hygienic education of the population in Voronezh. At the same time dmf index in 6 year old children receiving F-milk was by 39% lower than in their contemporaries from the control group. F-intake monitoring in children 3, 4, 5 and 6 years of age has shown that F-milk (daily appr. 0.2 l with the level 2.5 ppm) use is a very effective method of F-deficiency elimination, leaving out any possibility of F-overdosage exceeding its physiologic needs.