Effect of socioeconomic factors on the observed caries reduction after fluoride tablet and fluoride toothpaste consumption

The caries experience of 123 fluoride users (F-tablets and/or F-toothpaste) was compared with that of a group of 226 non-users. Fluoride users appeared to have a 15 % lower DFS score (16.2) than non-users (19.0). After a matching procedure had been used to correct for some intervening variables (socioeconomic status, toothbrushing habit, sweet consumption) no difference was found between the groups of F-tablet and F-toothpaste users and the respective groups of matched non-users. The difference in caries experience of 15 % between users and non-users remained in only one group after the matching procedure, that in which the children used both F-tablets and F-toothpaste.