Article Analysis & Evaluation
Does Exposure to Fluoridated Water During the Crown Completion and Maturation Phases of Permanent First Molars Decrease Pit and Fissure Caries?

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Article Title and Bibliographic Information

Effects of Water Fluoride Exposure at Crown Completion and Maturation of Caries of Permanent First Molars

Singh KA, Spencer AJ, Brennan DS.

Caries Res 2004;41:34-42

Level of Evidence

2

Purpose/Question

To evaluate the relative effects of exposure to fluoridated water during the pre-eruptive stages of the crown completion and maturation on caries prevention in the permanent first molars of 6- to 15-year-old Australian children.

Source of Funding

Government: Public Health Research and Development Grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Type of Study/Design

Cross-Sectional Study

Section snippets

Subjects

Participants were from the Child Fluoride Study, a 3-year multisite prospective longitudinal study of caries in children. There were 19,885 subjects, aged 6 to 15 years, from Queensland and South Australia. Data were collected between June 1991 and May 1992. Other information requires accessing J Public Health Dent 2003;63:11-9 where the parent study is described in more detail. No information is provided in either article on gender distribution.

Exposure

Lifetime fluoride exposure: categorized into 8

Commentary and Analysis

For a long time there has been debate about whether fluoride's caries-preventive effects are pre- or post-eruption. Findings of the current study suggest that in pit and fissure surfaces, exposure to fluoridated water pre-eruption, during the crown completion phase, was more important for caries prevention than post-eruption, and that this relationship occurs independently of other sources of fluoride exposure such as fluoride supplements, fluoride toothpaste, infant formula, and professionally

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