PREVENTION OF DENTAL CARIES THROUGH THE EFFECTIVE USE OF FLUORIDE – THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH
Table 1 . Dental caries severity in selected countries before implemention of automatic fluoridation for prevention of dental caries 3
Country
1
Ontario
2
Metropolitan area
Automatic Fluoridation Water Salt Milk
DMFT 12-years
Year of implementation
Brazil X 2.8 1953 Bulgaria X 3.1 1988 Canada 1 X 2.1 1945 Chile 2 X 2.6 1996
Chile Codegua
X
3.23 dmft @ 6years of age
Colombia X 2.3 1997
Costa Rica X 2.5 1987 Cuba X 1.5 2000
Czech Republic
1994
X 2.5 1994
France X 1.2 1986 Germany X 0.7 1991 Honk Kong X 0.8 1961 Ireland X 1.1 1957 Israel X 1.66 1970 Jamaica X 1.1 1987 South Korea X 2.08 1978 New Zealand X 1.4 1954 Macedonia X 3.03 2009 Malaysia X 1.6 1957 Mexico X 2.0 1989
Russian Federation
X 2.9 1994
Singapore X 1.0 1958
Switzerland X 0.86 1955 Thailand X 1.9 2000
United Kingdom
X 0.7 2003
St Helens , UK X 1993 United States X 1.16 1945
Uruguay X 2.5 1992
indispensable to ensure sustainability . 3.2 . Salt fluoridation One of the objections to water fluoridation is that it limits consumers ’ choice . If the public water supply is fluoridated , a consumer has few practical alternatives other than to purchase bottled drinking-water that does not contain fluoride . One of the attractions of fluoridated salt is that it can be sold alongside a non-fluoridated alternative . Salt is consumed by virtually all populations , the amount consumed is constant , and an overdose is virtually excluded . In countries of the Americas decrees , regulations or standards emanated from health authorities require that salt for human consumption be fluoridated . Salt fluoridation has been used successfully for over 55 years . The fluoride addition is inexpensive and techniques for addition in various settings have been developed and these are accessible to small and large processors . When most salt for human consumption is fluoridated , the effectiveness of salt fluoridation approximates that of water fluoridation . Fluoridated salt is available in certain countries that do not have identified programmes . The first studies on the effects on the incidence and prevalence of dental caries of fluoride added to
134 STOMA . EDUJ ( 2016 ) 3 ( 2 )