The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of developmental defects of enamel in fluoridated (1 ppm F) and non-fluoridated ( < 0.2 ppm F) communities in Cheshire, England. Eight-year-old children were examined under blind conditions. Only lifetime residents were included and only children with no history of dietary fluoride supplements. Significantly more children living in the fluoridated community (60%) had enamel defects compared to those in the non-fluoridated community (44%). In the fluoridated community, significantly more children whose parents claimed to begin brushing at an early age exhibited enamel defects.

A survey of twelve-year-old Nepalese children was undertaken in 1994 according to the WHO pathfinder methodology and examination criteria. The study sample was drawn from randomly selected schools within the capital city, and two randomly selected urban settings, together with children drawn from schools in four randomly selected villages within rural Nepal. Three hundred and sixty children were examined. Drinking water samples were obtained from all sources at each examination site and subsequently analysed for fluoride content. The overall caries experience in the country was found to be very low or low. Analysis of drinking water samples revealed that with the exception of one town in the south of the country, all sites had low fluoride levels.

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