Evaluation of Self-Administered Prophylaxis and Supervised Toothbrushing with Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride

Abstract

In São Paulo, Brazil, 566 children, 14–17 years old, completed a 3-year study to evaluate the anticaries effect of self-applications of acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF). There were five study groups: group A (controls) brushed with a non-fluoride prophylaxis paste and then with a placebo solution; group B brushed with the paste and then with an APF solution (0.6% F, pH 3); group C brushed with the APF solution without brushing first with the paste; group D brushed with the paste and then with an APF gel (1.23% F, pH 3); and group E brushed with the APF gel without brushing first with the paste. Fifteen brushings spaced evenly during 3 school years were made in school, supervised by lay personnel. After three years, there were reductions in incremental DMF surfaces of 26, 26, 33 and 19% in groups B, C, D and E, respectively, compared with controls. The differences in all treatment groups from controls, with exception of that in group E, were significant at the 0.05 level.