Incremental Rates of Dental Caries after Repeated Topical Sodium Fluoride Applications in Children with Lifelong Consumption of Fluoridated Water

Repeated topical applications of 1.1% sodium fluoride in water-soluble gels apparently reduced the already low caries rate in children who have lived in Charlotte, NC, all their lives. The community water supply was fluoridated in 1949. After about two years, the concentration of fluoride in permanent tooth enamel of treated children was nearly 3,000 ppm as compared to 1,700 ppm in untreated children.