1. The combined use of a twice-yearly, self-applied 2.2 percent phosphate fluoride prophylactic paste and a weekly 0.2 percent sodium fluoride mouthrinse resulted in a significantly lower caries prevalence at the same school after two years. 2. The use of a weekly 0.2 percent sodium fluoride mouthrinse alone resulted in a significantly lower caries prevalence among 11 year olds at the same school after two years. 3. The use of a twice-yearly 2.2 percent phosphate fluoride self-applied prophylactic paste did not result in a significant difference in caries prevalence at the same school after two years. 4. The combination of methods appeared to be more effective than either method used alone and the programs were more effective among nonwhites in this population with this type of analysis. 5. A study design which uses cross-sectional data to estimate incidence and to make prevalence comparisons at two different points in time can be useful when an evaluation of the effect of previously tested products is desired in school-based programs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.