[Benefits of a community oriented fluoride mouth rinsing program]

The benefits of a school-based fluoride mouth rinsing in a community dental health program were evaluated. In village "M", children from 4 to 14 years old have been participating in a school-based fluoride mouth rinsing program since 1974. In addition, an informal association for dental health of children was inaugurated in 1975 to support the community dental health program. In village "K", there were no fluoride mouth rinsing programs. However, the usual dental health education conducted in all schools was similar in both communities. In order to compare these two communities, dental examinations were carried out in 1990. The total number of subjects from 6 to 14 years old was 331 in village "M" and 408 in village "K". In village "M" for longitudinal comparison, 12-year-olds, 1,054 in total, were examined annually from 1974 to 1990. The DMFT-index in all subjects in village "M" was 76.1% lower than in village "K". In village "M", the DMFT-index in 1990 decreased 79.0% compared to 1974. The economic benefits obtained through the caries reduction were evaluated. In 1990 the mean cost of dental treatment for subjects 14 years old was 27,840 yen per person in village "K" and 4,248 yen in village "M". The cost-benefit ratio was 18.8 and the cost-effectiveness ratio was 137 yen. These remarkable benefits from the prevention of dental caries appears to have been mainly obtained due to the participation of children aged 4 to 14 years old in a school-based fluoride mouth rinsing program.