Inhibitory effect of barium on human caries prevalence

The aim of this investigation was to determine if barium in drinking water, in combination with fluoride, has an effect on caries prevalence in a human population. Children, aged 12-14 yr, were selected from two towns which had a similar socioeconomic and racial balance but one had a barium concentration of 8.0-10.0 ppm in its drinking water and the other a level which was less than 0.03 ppm. The caries prevalence, as mean DMFS, was significantly lower in the high barium town (2.76 +/- 0.82) than in the low barium town (5.14 +/- 0.65). The difference in mottling scores between the two towns was not significant (P = 0.44, chi-square test). This difference in mean DMFS between the high and low barium communities could not be explained by an effect of other covariate factors.