Fluoride mouth rinsing proficiency of Japanese preschool-aged children.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Japanese preschool-aged children swallow fluoride solution while rinsing and how much fluoride was retained in the mouth after rinsing.


METHODS
The subjects were 769 children who participated in a school-based fluoride mouth rinse programme (FMR) using 0.05% sodium fluoride solution daily. The group of younger, mean age of 4 years and 10 months, experienced the FMR for two months, and the group of older children, mean age of 5 years and 4 months, did it for at least 8 months, rinsing for a minute using 7 ml of the solution. The amount of fluoride retained in the mouth was estimated as the amount present in the net rinsing solution prepared minus what returned to the solution expectorated.


RESULTS
No child swallowed all the solution. The rate of fluoride retained was 12.0% (mean = 0.19 mg) in the younger group and 10.7% (mean = 0.17 mg) in the older. Only six children retained over 0.5 mg of fluoride. With the extra survey using weekly intervals, the amount retained was below 0.5 mg in all children.


CONCLUSIONS
That Japanese preschoolaged children could perform fluoride mouth rinsing safely and efficiently.
Sakuma
S
S
Division of Preventive Dentistry, Dept of Oral Health Science, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 2-5474 Gakkocho-dori, Niigata City, 951-8514, Japan. shihopre@dent.niigata-u.ac.jp
Ikeda
S
S
Miyazaki
H
H
Kobayashi
S
S
D000367:Age Factors; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003679:Deglutition; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D009055:Mouth / Q000378:metabolism; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012449:Safety
D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D009067:Mouthwashes; D005459:Fluorides