The prevalence of dental fluorosis in a school-based program of fluoride mouthrinsing, fluoride tablets, and both procedures combined

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the study was to describe and compare the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis in children who participated in an eight-year clinical trial of the effectiveness of school-based fluoride procedures according to three treatment regimens and age of regimen initiation.

Methods: At baseline in 1981, 1,640 kindergarten and first grade children residing in a fluoride-deficient community (Springfield, OH) were assigned randomly to a group that (1) rinsed once a week with a 0.2 percent neutral NaF solution; (2) chewed, rinsed, and swallowed daily a neutral 2.2 mg NaF tablet; or (3) carried out both procedures. DMFS examinations were conducted at baseline and after two, five, and eight years of treatment. As a follow-up in 1992, fluorosis examinations using Dean's index were conducted on 448 remaining subjects.

Results: Overall, the prevalence of fluorosis was 4.4 percent with 20 children classified as having some definitive level of the condition. No statistically significant differences existed in the prevalence or severity of fluorosis: (1) among the preventive regimens; (2) among children who began the regimens at ages 5, 6, or 7; or (3) by eruptive status of teeth.

Conclusion: These results reiterate the safety of school-based fluoride mouthrinse, fluoride tablet, or combined regimens in communities with fluoride-deficient water supplies.