Caries-preventive effect of fluoride toothpaste: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Dental caries remains a significant public health concern globally.
• Fluoride toothpaste is a widely recommended caries preventive method.
• Evidence on optimal fluoride concentration and brushing supervision requires systematic evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate the caries preventive effect of fluoride toothpastes.
• To assess the impact of fluoride concentration and supervised versus non-supervised brushing.
• To analyze findings across different age groups, focusing on permanent and primary dentitions.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of electronic databases (1966-2003).
• Inclusion of randomized or controlled clinical trials with ≥2 years follow-up.
• Independent assessment of 54 selected studies (out of 905) by multiple reviewers using predefined criteria.

Main Results:

• Strong evidence supports daily fluoride toothpaste use for caries prevention in young permanent dentition (Prevented Fraction [PF] 24.9%).
• Toothpastes with 1,500 ppm fluoride showed superior efficacy over 1,000 ppm (PF 9.7%).
• Supervised brushing yielded higher caries reductions (PF 23.3%) than non-supervised brushing.

Conclusions:

• Daily toothbrushing with fluoridated toothpaste is crucial for preventing dental caries.
• Higher fluoride concentrations and supervised brushing enhance preventive effects.
• Further research is needed on fluoride toothpaste efficacy in primary dentition and in adults.