title: Recent trends in dental caries in U.S. children and the effect of water fluoridation.
abstract: The decline in dental caries in U.S. schoolchildren, first observed nationwide in 1979-1980, was confirmed further by a second national epidemiological survey completed in 1987. Mean DMFS scores in persons aged 5-17 years had decreased about 36% during the interval, and, in 1987, approximately 50% of children were caries-free in the permanent dentition. Children who had always been exposed to community water fluoridation had mean DMFS scores about 18% lower than those who had never lived in fluoridated communities. When some of the "background" effect of topical fluoride was controlled, this difference increased to 25%. The results suggest that water fluoridation has played a dominant role in the decline in caries and must continue to be a major prevention methodology.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Brunelle
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Carlos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005457:Fluoridation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D005459:Fluorides