PRETREATMENT OF TEETH WITH SODIUM FLUORIDE PRIOR TO STANNOUS FLUORIDE APPLICATION IN CHILDREN

¹ Department of Biochemistry, Indiana University, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis, Ind.

Approximately 600 children, aged 6 to 15 years, from Spencer, Indiana, were divided into three groups in order to test the anticariogenic effectiveness of the pretreatment of teeth with sodium fluoride prior to the topical application of stannous fluoride. Group I received one application of a 4 per cent solution of sodium fluoride, followed by a single application of an 8 per cent solution of stannous fluoride. Group II received two applications of stannous fluoride, and Group III was a control. After 1 year there was a significant reduction in dental caries in both groups receiving fluorides. The groups receiving the pretreatment with sodium fluoride had a reduction of 100 and 60.6 per cent, as evaluated by DMFT and DMFS indices, respectively. The group receiving 2 applications of stannous fluoride had a 100 and 78.2 per cent reduction using the same indices. The reasons why these data did not confirm in vitro data indicating the superiority of the pretreatment with sodium fluoride are not known.