Supervised weekly rinsing with a 0.2% neutral NaF solution: results from a demonstration program after two school...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Preventive Dentistry

Background:

• Dental caries remains a significant public health issue, particularly in fluoride-deficient communities.
• School-based interventions offer a practical approach to delivering preventive dental care.
• Previous studies highlight the efficacy of fluoride mouth-rinsing in caries reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based, weekly 0.2% sodium fluoride mouth-rinsing program.
• To assess the impact of the program on dental caries prevalence in children residing in a fluoride-deficient area.
• To compare caries reduction across different tooth surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a supervised, once-weekly mouth-rinsing program using a neutral 0.2% sodium fluoride solution.
• Participants were schoolchildren in a Long Island, NY, community with low natural fluoride levels (≤ 0.1 ppm).
• Dental caries prevalence (DMFT and DMFS) was assessed at baseline and after two years.

Main Results:

• A 19.9% reduction in mean DMFT prevalence scores and a 20.3% reduction in mean DMFS scores were observed after two years.
• The most significant caries reduction was seen on proximal surfaces (40.0%).
• Occlusal and buccolingual surfaces showed caries reductions of 19.6% and 15.6%, respectively.

Conclusions:

• School-based fluoride mouth-rinsing programs are effective in reducing dental caries in children, even in non-fluoridated communities.
• The intervention demonstrated significant caries reduction across various tooth surfaces, with proximal surfaces benefiting the most.
• This program represents a viable and effective strategy for improving oral health in school-aged populations.