Cost analysis of 3 years of topical fluoride application

The article gives additional information about the 3-year study of caries reduction after topical application of 4% NaF-PO4 in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia. The caries reduction obtained was about 20% after topical fluoride application once a year (Group 2) and about 30% after topical fluoride application twice a year (Group 3). Data on costs of treatment and dentist's working time required are given. The costs of repair and topical fluoride application during the 3-year experimental period were in Group 2 72% and in Group 3 158% higher than in the Control Group. The dentist's working time for repair and topical fluoride application during the experimental period was in Group 2 33% and in Group 3 80% higher than in the Control Group. It seems to be of special interest that the dentist's working time spent for total tooth repair per child at the beginning of the study was 3.3-4.9 times higher than the working time for repair in the years during the study.