Physicians' Roles in Preventing Dental Caries in Preschool Children: Summary of the Evidence. Table 2. Abbreviated Evidence Table of Effects of Fluoride Supplements on Primary Teeth

You Are Here: AHRQ Home > Clinical Information > U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) > Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, 2001-2004 > Prevention: Dental Caries > Summary of the Evidence

Table 2. Abbreviated Evidence Table of Effects of Fluoride Supplements on Primary Teeth

Study, year	Site and background F level	Age at baseline, (n)	Experimental intervention	Control intervention	Assignment method	Population description	Blinding	% Drop out	% Reduction		NNT
Study, year	Site and background F level	Age at baseline, (n)	Experimental intervention	Control intervention	Assignment method	Population description	Blinding	% Drop out	dmft	dmfs	dmft	dmfs
Hamberg, 1971²⁷	Sweden, ~0.2 ppm	2-3 wk (705)	0.5 mg F&V drops	V drops	Not described.	Visitors to well-baby clinics	Parents and examiner	Not reported	48^a
Hennon, 1972²⁸	Indiana, <0.4 ppm, some with >exposure	18-39 mo (815)	E₁: 1.0 mg F chews E₂: 1.0 mg F&V chews	V chews	Unclear, "assigned according to sex and defs."	Infants in pediatric offices	Parents and examiner	65	69** 56**	65** 62**	0.6 0.8	0.4 0.5
Margolis, 1967²⁹, 1975³⁰	Michigan and New York, non-fluoridated	1-4 mo (297)^b	0-3 y: 0.5 mg F&V drops 3 + y: 1.0 mg F&V chews	0-3 y: V drops 3+ y: V chews	Not described	Infants in pediatric offices	Parents and examiner	Not reported	68***^a,c		1.3
Hennon, 1977³¹	Indiana, 0.6-0.8 ppm	1-14 mo (456)	0-3 y: 0.5 mg F&V drops 3 + y: E₁: 1.0 mg F&V chews E₂: 0.5 mg F&V chews	0-3 y: V drops 3+ y: V chews	"Systematic allocation after stratification by sex and age"	Infants in 8 towns with in-range F levels	Parents and examiner	71	42* 32*	47* 38*	2.0 2.6	1.2 1.5
Hu, 1998³²	China, <0.3 ppm	2 y (324)	2 y: 0.25 mg F drops 3 + y: 0.5 F drops	None	Children grouped by school, school assignment not described	Kindergarten students	Not reported	26	54*	51*	1.4	0.9
Lin, 2000³³	Taiwan, <0.1 ppm	22-26^d mo (140)	E₁: 0.25 mg F drops E₂: 0.25 mg F chews	None	Random, method of randomization not described	Patients at cleft^d clinic	Examiners	18	52 72**	51 81***	0.9 0.7	0.3
^aNo statistical testing reported. ^bData from 2 parallel studies combined. ^c2-year increment (age 4-6 y only). ^dChildren with cleft lip/palate. Different from control at P < 0.05. Different from control at P < 0.01. Different from control at P < 0.005. Different from control at P < 0.001. Note:** Chews indicates chewable tablets; defs, decayed, extracted, and filled primary tooth surfaces; dmfs, decayed, missing, and filled primary surfaces; dmft, decayed, missing, and filled primary teeth; F, fluoride; NNT, number needed to treat (to prevent 1 dmft/dmfs) (NNT not reported if reductions were not significant); ppm, parts per million; V, vitamin.

Return to Document