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. 2019 Apr 11;16(7):1306.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph16071306.

Reduction of Dental Caries Among Children and Adolescents From a 15-Year Community Water Fluoridation Program in a Township Area, Korea

Han-Na Kim  1 , Wook-Sung Kong  2 , Jung-Ha Lee  3 , Jin-Bom Kim  4   5
Affiliations

Reduction of Dental Caries Among Children and Adolescents From a 15-Year Community Water Fluoridation Program in a Township Area, Korea

Han-Na Kim et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Since 2000, a community water fluoridation program (CWFP) has been implemented in Hapcheon for over 15 years. We aimed to evaluate the caries-reducing effect on permanent teeth after this implementation. In 2015, evaluation surveys were conducted by our study group, 498 subjects aged 8, 10, 12, and 15 years. As the control, 952 similarly aged subjects were selected from the Sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015 KNHANES). Data of a prospective cohort of 671 8-,10- and 12-year-olds, collected when CWFP started, were used for the evaluation. Caries-reducing effects were estimated by decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) scores between CWFP and control groups, pre- and post-program. Confounders including the mean number of sealant teeth and gender were adjusted for. The mean adjusted DMFT scores of 10-, 12- and 15-year-olds in Hapcheon were significantly lower compared to KNHANES DMFT scores; in addition, those of 8-, 10- and 12-year-olds after the 15-year CWFP were significantly lower than in 2000. The caries-reducing effect among 12-year-olds was 37.6% compared to those recorded in KNHANES, and 67.4% compared to those in 2000. In conclusion, the caries-reducing effect was so high that health policy makers should consider CWFP as a priority policy for caries-reducing in Korean children and adolescents.

Keywords: DMFT; caries prevention; dental caries; fluoride; permanent teeth; water fluoridation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Participants and study procedure for the evaluation of the caries-reducing effect derived from the CWFP on permanent dentition. Note: a. The DMFT scores from the data from the Korean National Oral Health Survey conducted in 2000 and the DMFT scores from Hapcheon recorded in 2000 were adjusted for confounding factors including the mean number of sealant teeth and gender. Consequently, there were no significant differences between the adjusted DMFT scores of the two regions in 2000; b. Comparison between the data of the 2013–2015 control group and 2015 Hapcheon group using the DMFT scores and the estimation of the reduction effect; c. Estimation of caries-reducing effect on permanent dentition following the 15-year program by comparing adjusted DMFT scores from 2000 and 2015 in Hapcheon. CWFP: community water fluoridation program.KNHANES: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. KNOHS: Korean National Oral Health Survey.
Figure 2
Figure 2
DMFT scores adjusted for gender and the number of sealant teeth recorded in 2000 and 2015, Hapcheon township area.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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