Three‐year report on caries prevention using fluoride varnishes for caries risk children in a community with fluoridated water

Abstract

– The Benifit of seminnual application of the sodium fluoride varnish Duraphat(R) and the silane fluoride varnish Fluor Protector(R) was studied in 11–13‐year‐old children with high caries activity and lifelong exposure to fluoridated drinking water (1–1.2 parts/106). Annual clinical and radiographic examinations were made of 62 children in the Duraphat group and 70 children in the Fluor Protector group. Fluoride varnish was applied semiannually using the half‐moth technique. After 3 years, for the Duraphat group mean total DMES increments on the control side were 6.2 and on the test side 4.3 (P<0.001); for the Fluor Protector group the DMES increments were 4.9 and 4.4, respectively (NS). The caries reductions were 30% and 11%. Since ther were no differences between initial mean DMES scores of the groups, it is possible that the lower increment in the Fluor Protector control side compatred to the Duraphat control side was due to fluoride ions from Fluor Protector crossing the midline and providing protection on the control side as well. Therefore, we conclude that Duraphat proved effective, but definite conslusion of the effect of Fluor Protector cannot be made. Children with the highest DMES increment on the control side (duraphat) gained most from the applications.

Professional Topical Fluoride Applications— Clinical Efficacy and Mechanism of Action

“…In the only study where Duraphat and APF gel were compared, Duraphat was slightly more effective (Shobha et al, 1987). The use of Duraphat has also reduced caries by 30% in an optimally fluoridated area (Seppa et al, 1982). Because of its high fluoride concentration, Duraphat might be capable of disturbing the metabolic activities of bacteria.…”

An Evaluation of the Use of Professional (Operator-applied) Topical Fluorides

“…-Fluoride varnishes have been applied to teeth that were first professionally cleaned (Koch and Petersson, 1975;Modeer et al, 1984) or self-cleansed (Seppa et al, 1982b, although laboratory studies have demonstrated that the fluoride from varnishes can be absorbed by uncleaned enamel (Hellwig et al, 1985;Seppa, 1983).…”

Effect of Fluoride in Phosphate Buffer Solution on Bonding to Artificially Carious Enamel

“…Since the development of fluoride agents in the 1940s, fluoride applications to human enamel are widely used in caries prevention [6][7][8][9] . The effectiveness of applied fluoride, either from solution or from dentifrice, and most commonly as sodium fluoride or sodium monofluorophosphate, is increasingly showing results with recent sharp falls in the prevalence of dental caries 10) .…”