Dental Caries in Relation to Fluoride Content of Enamel in the Primary Dentition

Abstract

A follow-up study of 66 children, examined for dental caries at the age of 3, was carried out when these children had reached the age of 6. Caries prevalence in the primary dentition at the final examination as well as caries incidence during the 3-year period was compared to the fluoride content of the enamel measured by an abrasive biopsy technique on the buccal surfaces of the upper primary cuspids. No statistically significant correlation between the two parameters could be established. It was noted that a combination of low fluoride level in the enamel and high prevalence or incidence of dental caries was observed in only very few individuals.