Children in mainly fluoridated US counties have less tooth decay

ConclusionsThe authors stated that when considered at the level of an individual, these effect estimates represent clinical benefits that are either small (1.3 fewer dfs per child) or negligible (0.3 fewer DMFS per child). However, caries experience indices are more meaningfully interpreted for groups, just as clinical trials report number needed to treat. For example, effect estimates from this study translate as 13 fewer primary tooth surfaces and 3 fewer permanent tooth surfaces developing caries for every 10 children who gain access to CWF. The potential public health benefit is substantial in the United States, where 115 million people currently do not have fluoridated tap water.The authors state their conclusions: “The current findings are consistent with earlier studies that established the scientific consensus that CWF is effective in preventing dental caries. They provide a valuable update of the evidence needed to support fluoridation as a core public health intervention promoting oral health.” The authors also state: “These findings fill a shortage in recent evidence about fluoridation, a shortage that has been criticized in a Cochrane systematic review (Iheozor-Ejiofor et al. 2015), although controversially (Rugg-Gunn et al. 2016), such reviews exclude evidence from cross-sectional studies.”
Source: Journal of Evidence Based Dental Practice - Category: Dentistry Source Type: research