Abstract
AIM: The aim was to examine recent literature and review the caries-preventive effect of fluoride toothpaste in children. METHODS: Based on three comprehensive systematic reviews published in 2003, a broad search of the Pub Med and Cochrane library databases was conducted for papers published 2002–2008 using “fluoride toothpaste”, “fluoride dentifrice” and “fluoride dental cream” as index terms. Relevant publications were identified after assessment of their abstracts. Papers were selected if they reported a prospective controlled design with caries data reported at baseline and at the end of the study. The targeted papers were critically assessed concerning design, methodology and performance according to a pre-determined checklist. RESULTS: The initial search revealed 179 papers of which 15 met the inclusion criteria. There was strong evidence that daily use of fluoride toothpaste has a significant caries-preventive effect in children compared with placebo (prevented fraction 24%). The effect was boosted by supervised tooth brushing, increased brushing frequency to twice daily, and use of a toothpaste concentration of 1,500 ppm fluoride. There were few studies of high quality reporting findings from the primary dentition. There were no studies available, and therefore insufficient evidence, on when to commence brushing with fluoride toothpaste as well as on the post-brushing behaviour. The use of “adult” toothpaste in very young children seemed to increase the risk for mild dental fluorosis in low-caries communities but not in socially deprived high-caries populations. CONCLUSIONS: The results reinforced the outstanding role of fluoride toothpaste as an effective caries preventive measure in children.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Jundi SH, Hammad M, Alwaeli H. The efficacy of a school-based caries preventive program: a 4-year study. Int J Dent Hyg 2006;4:30–34.
Alm A, Wendt LK, Koch G, Birkhed D. Oral hygiene and parent-related factors during early childhood in relation to approximal caries at 15 years of age. Caries Res 2008;42:28–36.
Ammari AB, Bloch-Zupan A, Ashley PF. Systematic review of studies comparing the anti-caries efficacy of children’s toothpaste containing 600 ppm of fluoride or less with high fluoride toothpastes of 1,000 ppm or above. Caries Res 2003;37:85–92.
Bartizek RD, Gerlach RW, Faller RV, et al., Reduction in dental caries with four concentrations of sodium fluoride in a dentifrice: a meta-analysis evaluation. J Clin Dent 2001;12:57–62.
Biesbrock AR, Bartizek RD, Gerlach RW, Jacobs SA, Archila L. Effect of three concentrations of sodium fluoride dentifrices on clinical caries. Am J Dent 2003a;16:99–104.
Biesbrock AR, Bartizek RD, Gerlach RW, Jacobs SA, Archila L. Dose response efficacy of sodium fluoride dentifrice at 9 and 21 months with supervised brushing. Am J Dent 2003b;16:305–312.
Bratthall D, Hänsel-Petersson G, Sundberg H. Reasons for the caries decline: what do the experts believe? Eur J Oral Sci 1996;104:416–422.
Chaves SCL, Vieira-da-Silva LM. Anticaries effectiveness of fluoride toothpaste: a meta-analysis. Rev Saude Publica 2002;36:598–606.
Chesters RK, Huntington E, Burchell CK, Stephen KW. Effect of oral care habits on caries in adolescents. Caries Res 1992;26:299–304.
Chesters RK, Pitts NB, Matuliene G,et al. An abbreviated caries clinical trial design validated over 24 months. J Dent Res 2002;81:637–640.
Chestnutt IG, Schäfer F, Jacobson AP, Stephen KW. The influence of tooth-brushing frequency and post-brushing rinsing on caries experience in a caries clinical trial. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1998;26:406–411.
Curnow MM, Pine CM, Burnside G, et al. A randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of supervised toothbrushing in high-caries-risk children. Caries Res 2002;36:294–300.
Davies RM, Ellwood RP, Davies GM. The rational use of fluoride toothpaste. Int J Dent Hyg 2003;1:3–8.
Davies GM, Worthington HV, Ellwood RP, et al. A randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of providing free fluoride toothpaste from the age of 12 months on reducing caries in 5–6 year old children. Community Dent Health 2002a;19:131–136.
deAlmeida BS, daSilva Cardoso VE, Buzalaf MAR. Fluoride ingestion from toothpaste and diet in 1- to 3-year-old Brazilian children. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2007;35:53–63.
Declerck D, Leroy R, Martens L, et al. Factors associated with prevalence and severity of caries experience in preschool children. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2008;36:168–178.
Do LG, Spencer AJ. Risk-benefit balance in the use of fluoride among young children. J Dent Res 2007;86:723–728.
Heijnsbroek M, Gerardu VAM, Buijs MJ, et al. Increased salivary fluoride concentrations after post-brush fluoride rinsing not reflected in dental plaque. Caries Res 2006;40:444–448.
Jackson RJ, Newman HN, Smart GJ, et al. The effects of a supervised tooth-brushing programme on the caries increment of primary school children, initially aged 5–6 years. Caries Res 2005;39:108–115.
Levy SM, Warren J, Brofitt B, Hillis SL, Kanellis MJ. Fluoride, beverages and dental caries in the primary dentition. Caries Res 2003;37:157–165.
Lima TJ, Ribeiro CC, Tenuta LM, Cury JA.. Low-fluoride dentifrice and caries lesion control in children with different caries experience: a randomized clinical trial. Caries Res 2008;42:46–50.
Machiulskiene V, Richards A, Nyvad B, Baelum V. Prospective study of the effect of post-brushing rinsing behaviour on dental caries. Caries Res 2002;36:301–307.
Madléna M, Nagy G, Gábris K, et al. Effect of amine fluoride toothpaste and gel in high risk groups of Hungarian adolescents: results of a longitudinal study. Caries Res 2002;36:142–146.
Marinho VC, Higgins JP, Sheiham A, Logan S. Fluoride toothpastes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;(1):CD002278.
Marinho VC. Evidence-based effectiveness of topical fluorides. Adv Dent Res 2008;20:3–7.
Mascarenhas AK, Burt BA. Fluorosis risk from early exposure to fluoride toothpaste. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1998;26:241–248.
Mattila M-L, Rautava R, Aromaa M, et al. Behavioural and demographic factors during early childhood and poor dental health at 10 years of age. Caries Res 2005;39:85–91.
O’Mullane DM, Kavanagh D, Ellwood RP, I. A three-year clinical trial of a combination of trimetaphosphate and sodium fluoride in silica toothpastes. J Dent Res 1997;76:1776–1781.
Rong WS, Bian JY, Wang WJ, Wang JD. Effectiveness of an oral health education and caries prevention program in kindergartens in China. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2003;31:412–416.
Sjögren K, Birkhed D, Rangmar B. Effect of a modified toothpaste technique on approximal caries in preschool children. Caries Res 1995;29:435–441.
Steiner M, Helfenstein U, Menghini G. Effect of 1000 ppm relative to 250 ppm fluoride toothpaste. A meta-analysis. Am J Dent 2004;17:85–88.
Stephen KW, Creanor SL, Russell JI, et al. A 3-year oral health dose-response study of sodium monofluorophosphate dentifrices with and without zinc citrate: anti-caries results. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1988;16:321–325.
Stookey GK, Mau MS, Isaacs RL, et al. The relative anticaries effectiveness of three fluoride-containing dentifrices in Puerto Rico. Caries Res 2004a;38:542–550.
Tavener JA, Davies GM, Davies RM, Ellwood RP. The prevalence and severity of fluorosis and other developmental defects of enamel in children who received free fluoride toothpaste containing either 440 or 1450 ppm F from the age of 12 months. Community Dent Health 2004;21:217–223.
Tavener JA, Davies GM, Davies RM, Ellwood RP. The prevalence and severity of fluorosis in children who received toothpaste containing either 440 or 1,450 ppm F from the age of 12 months in deprived and less deprived communities. Caries Res 2006;40:66–72.
Twetman S, Axelsson S, Dahlgren H, et al. Caries-preventive effect of fluoride toothpaste: a systematic review. Acta Odontol Scand 2003;61:347–355.
Verrips GH, Frencken JE, Kalsbeek H, terHorst G, Filedt Kok-Weimar TL. Risk indicators and potential risk factors for caries in 5-year-olds of different ethnic groups in Amsterdam. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 1992;20:256–260.
Warren JJ, Weber-Gasparoni K, Marshall TA, et al. Factors associated with dental caries experience in 1-year-old children. J Public Health Dent 2008;68:70–75.
Wendt LK, Hallonsten AL, Koch G, Birkhed D. Analysis of caries-related factors in infants and toddlers living in Sweden. Acta Odontol Scand 1996;54:131–137.
You BJ, Jian WW, Sheng RW, et al. Caries prevention in Chinese children with sodium fluoride dentifrice delivered through a kindergarten-based oral health program in China. J Clin Dent 2002;13:179–184.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Twetman, S. Caries prevention with fluoride toothpaste in children: an update. Eur Arch Paediatr Dent 10, 162–167 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03262678
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03262678