The effect on human dental caries of weekly oral rinsing with a sodium fluoride mouthwash: A final report

Abstract

A 20-month study was conducted in a non-fluoridated community to determine the caries-inhibitory effect of rinsing weekly during the school year for 1 min with 10 ml of a 0.2 per cent neutral sodium fluoride solution. Subjects beginning the study were 493 white and Negro children in Grade 1 and 381 in Grade 5; each grade was equally divided into comparable test and control groups. The control groups rinsed with a placebo solution. Classroom teachers dispensed the solutions and supervised rinsing. After 20 months, 133 children rinsing with fluoride in Grade 1 developed 25 per cent fewer new DMFT and 16 per cent fewer new DMFS than 123 controls; after 12 months, their reductions had been 34 and 30 per cent, respectively. In Grade 5, 98 children who used the fluoride mouthrinse had 52 per cent fewer new DMFT and 44 per cent fewer new DMFS than 110 controls after 20 months. After 12 months, the 5th Grade test group had had 34 per cent fewer new DMFT and 28 per cent fewer new DMFS than controls. Only the differences in Grade 5 after 20 months were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Occlusal and buccolingual surfaces received protection in Grade 1, but there were no benefits to mesiodistal surfaces. In Grade 5, all types of surfaces were protected.