EFFECT OF SEMIANNUAL APPLICATIONS OF A CHLORHEXIDINE FLUORIDE VARNISHMIXTURE ON APPROXIMAL CARIES INCIDENCE IN SCHOOLCHILDREN - A 3-YEAR RADIOGRAPHIC STUDY/

Development and progression of approximal caries is still difficult to prevent and control even in societies with declining caries prevalenc e. In this study, a test group of 115 12-yr old children were treated semi-annually with a mixture (1:1) of a varnish containing 0.1% F (Flu or Protector) and 1.0% chlorhexidine (Cervitec). A reference group of 104 children received fluoride varnish treatment (Fluor Protector) sem i-annually. Approximal caries was recorded from bitewing radiographs a t baseline and after 3 yr. At baseline, total decayed and filled surfa ces (DFS) including enamel caries were 1.79 +/- 2.36 in the reference group and 2.0 +/- 2.77 in the test group. After 3 yr, the mean approxi mal caries incidence including enamel caries was 3.01 +/- 3.74 and 3.7 8 +/- 4.32, respectively. The differences at baseline as well as after 3 yr were not statistically significant. The results showed that both groups had a comparatively low incidence of approximal caries during the experimental period, and suggest that a mixture of fluoride and an tibacterial varnish had no additional preventive effect on approximal caries incidence compared with fluoride varnish treatments alone.