A comparison was made of the dental health of children aged 4-5 and 9-10 in two Scottish towns, one with fluoridated drinking water and the other without. Striking differences were observed. A 44% reduction in decayed, missing, and filled deciduous teeth was found in 4-5-year-olds in the fluoridated compared with the non-fluoridated town and a 50% reduction in decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth was recorded for the 9-10-year-olds. Larger percentage differences were found for the anterior teeth: a 65% reduction in deciduous incisors and canines, and an 81% reduction in permanent incisors and canines. Fluoridation of public water supplies in urban areas of Scotland would be a safe and effective way of dramatically improving dental health.
CITATION STYLE
Blinkhorn, A. S., Brown, M. D., Attwood, D., & Downer, M. C. (1981). The effect of fluoridation on the dental health of urban Scottish schoolchildren. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 35(2), 98–101. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.35.2.98
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