Studies confirm efficacy of fluoridated toothpaste

AORN Journal, April, 2003

A review of 50 years of clinical trial data found that regular brushing with fluoridated toothpaste resulted in 24% fewer cavities for children and adolescents than did regular brushing with nonfluoridated toothpaste, according to ADA News. Data were taken from 74 studies conducted between 1950 and 2001 in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The studies involved 42,000 children and adolescents younger than age 16. The data also indicate that

* brushing with fluoridated toothpaste at least once per day reduced the incidence of cavities, regardless of whether the children lived in areas with fluoridated water;

* brushing with fluoridated toothpaste twice per day was more beneficial than brushing once per day or less frequently; and

* brushing with fluoridated toothpaste may provide greater benefit to children and adolescents who have higher baseline levels of decayed, missing, or filled teeth.

The incidence of cavities in children has declined significantly in many communities during the past 30 years because of the use of fluoridated toothpastes, topical fluoride treatments, and fluoridated water. Researchers did not study the effects of fluoridated toothpaste use by adults or the effectiveness of different formulations of fluoridated toothpaste.

M Berthold, "Fifty years of data demonstrate efficacy of fluoride toothpaste," ADA News (Jan 15, 2003) http://www .ada.org/prof/pubs/daily/0301/0115fluo.html (accessed 21 Jan 2003).