The Connections Between Dental Caries Experience and Water-Borne Fluorides in a Population with Low Caries Incidence

Abstract

Summary report on field studies of total school population in 7 communities in Hungary. In 4 communities protective fluoride levels are found in the domestic waters, in remaining 3 there is less F than 0.5 ppm. The D.M.F. rates are in the fluoride regions are considerably lower than in the fluorine-free areas; the differences approx. those found by Dean et al. in the U.S.A. In spite of the lower strength of caries-promoting forces in Hungary, an equal F level is required to cause a quantitatively equal protection as in the U.S.A. A lower level of F cause slight protection. By comparing the first molar caries rates in children 9 to 11 and 12 to 14 yrs. old in fluoride and F-free areas, it was found that F in the domestic water exerts a real protection and not merely delays onset of caries. The caries experience of deciduous molars compared between fluoride and F-free regions supports this statement. Lower F levels than the optimal cause some protection too. In children moving into fluoride areas before the 6th birthday and living there continuously thereafter, there is less caries incidence than in the F-free regions; the protection in the "early migrants" is hardly less marked up to 12-14 yrs. than in children born and reared in the fluorine communities. In some communities some deleterious factors are at work promoting the onset of caties, resulting in increased caries incidence.