The effect of topical fluoride on dental caries experience in adult females of a military population.

SIGNIFICANT reductions in caries activity have been reported by several investigators following the topical application of fluoride.t'3 Positive results were obtained in studies on children when treated mouth quadrants were compared with untreated quadrants in the same individuals. Arnold, Dean, and Singleton4 observed no reduction in caries activity when whole mouth treatments were applied to adults in a military population. This has been attributed to the fact that the latter investigators used an acidulated fluoride solution and that the applications were made at one sitting. Rickles and Becks3 failed to observe a reduction in caries activity when mouth quadrants of an adult population were treated with acidulated solutions, whereas positive results were obtained in similar age groups when a neutral solution was used. Klinkenberg and Bibby1 showed positive results in young adults with neutral fluoride solutions. These investigators emphasized the fact that their experimental group was small, the neutral fluoride having been tried in twenty-five individuals and the acidulated in twenty-two. Recently Kutler and Ireland5 reported no significant reductions in the dental caries experience of 147 adults when quadrants were treated with a neutral 2 per cent sodium fluoride solution. The study to be reported is concerned with a female military population (WAVES) who received full mouth treatments with a neutral 2 per cent sodium fluoride solution.