Some factors associated with the caries decline among Norwegian children and adolescents: Age-specific and cohort analyses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate factors related to the caries dec line in children between 1966 and 1983. The decline started in the late six ties for the 8- to 11- and the 17-year-olds, and after 1971 for the remaini ng age groups, Regression analyses confirmed a significantly different star t of the decline. Fluorides in school-based programmes, lozenges, and tooth paste, as well as education and sale of antibiotics were significantly (p l ess than or equal to 0.01) related to the caries decline in partial correla tion analyses. Fluoride toothpaste was only significantly related to the de cline in the last part of the period of observation. Supervised fluoride ri nsing and brushing programmes at school may explain most of the decline bef ore 1971. The later decline may be related to all fluoride agents and to ed ucation. Use of fluorides and other preventive efforts aimed at pre-school children may have contributed to the continual decline in the number of fil lings in the permanent teeth of the youngest cohorts. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.