Caries Prevalence in Danish Children Living in Areas with Low and Optimal Levels of Natural Water Fluoride

Abstract

Trends in caries prevalence 1972–1980 are presented from Danish school children 7–15 years of age living in two communities with about 0.4 and one with 1.5 parts/106 F- in the drinking water. In all three areas a Child Dental Health Service had been established in 1956–1957. Dental caries data were derived from the standardized recording system introduced in the Danish Child Dental Health Service in 1972. Over this period the F area showed a consistent low prevalence of caries. In the same period a gradual decline in caries was observed in the low F areas approaching the level in the F area. Thus, in 1980 the average DMF-S in all three areas fell within 1.0–1.2 and 10.8–11.4 DMF-S for children 7 and 15 years of age, respectively. Many factors may have contributed to the levelling out of differences in caries formerly observed between low and optimal F areas. Increased use of fluoride-containing dentifrice in Denmark and regularly fortnightly fluoride rinsing programs in the low F areas since 1967 may, however, provide the most reasonable explanation for the findings.