Recent Trends in Dental Caries in U.S. Children and the Effect of Water Fluoridation

作者：Janet A. Brunelle, James P. Carlos · 发表于：Journal of Dental Research · 年份：1990 · DOI：10.1177/00220345900690s141 · 被引用次数：243 · 研究领域：Fluoride Effects and Removal、Dental Health and Care Utilization、Dental Erosion and Treatment

The decline in dental caries in U.S. schoolchildren, first observed nationwide in 1979-1980, was confirmed further by a second national epidemiological survey completed in 1987. Mean DMFS scores in persons aged 5-17 years had decreased about 36% during the interval, and, in 1987, approximately 50% of children were caries-free in the permanent dentition. Children who had always been exposed to community water fluoridation had mean DMFS scores about 18% lower than those who had never lived in fluoridated communities. When some of the "background" effect of topical fluoride was controlled, this difference increased to 25%. The results suggest that water fluoridation has played a dominant role in the decline in caries and must continue to be a major prevention methodology.