CARIES EXPERIENCE AMONG CHILDREN IN FLUORIDATED TOWNSVILLE AND UNFLUORIDATED BRISBANE

Fluoridation of community water supplies constitutes the main public h ealth strategy for prevention of dental caries in Australia. In recent years questions have been raised about the effectiveness of water flu oridation. Tie aim of this paper was to examine differences in caries experience of children aged 5 to 12 years who were lifetime residents either of Brisbane (the unfluoridated Queensland capital) or Townsvill e (fluoridated since 1965). Children from each city were sampled from patients of the school dental service, Dental therapists and dentists from the school dental service recorded data describing dental caries experience and parents were asked to complete a questionnaire about th eir children's residential history and exposure to other fluorides. Of the 18 348 children sampled, 10 195 (55.6 per cent) provided complete d questionnaires, and 4588 were lifetime residents of their respective cities. Caries rates were significantly lower (P < 0.01) among childr en in Townsville than in Brisbane, both in the deciduous dentition (ac cording to age, 32 to 55 per cent fewer tooth surfaces affected) and p ermanent dentition (20 to 65 per cent fewer tooth surfaces affected). Significantly lower rates in Townsville persisted (P < 0.01) in multiv ariate analyses that controlled for oral hygiene practices, exposure t o fluoride supplements and household income. Water fluoridation appear s to provide a substantial public health benefit for children in Towns ville.