Frank E. Law

Topical applications of fluoride solutions in dental caries control.

BOTH sodium fluoride and stannous fluoride in solutions of various concentrations have been used as topical agents, and their effectiveness as dental caries preventives among school children has been reported. A series of four applications of 2 percent solution of sodium fluoride to the teeth of children has been shown to reduce the incidence of dental caries by approximately 40 percent (1, 2). Reports on the effectiveness of 2 and 8 percent concentrations of stannous fluoride solution, topically applied, have varied widely a,mong different workers (3-7). This study wa,s designed to explore the rela,

Dental Health Status of Children 5 Years After Completing School Care Programs

ONE OF THE major objectives of the comprehensive dental care programs carried on in the schools of Richmond, Id., and Woonsocket, R.I., was to inculcate good oral health practices in participating children and in their parents (1-4). The educational phase of the projects, however, was directed not only to participants and their families but to a communitywide audience (5). Dental health education was conducted in all schools, and the public was alerted to the aims and objectives of the projects through various media. There was a sustained effort to encourage participation in the care programs, to influence nonparticipants to seek the services of private dentists, and to achieve a universal awareness of the importance of dental health. What impact did these programs actually have? Followup dental examinations were conducted in the schools of Richmond and Woonsocket in 1956 and 1957 to evaluate the long-term effects of treatment and education on continuing oral health. This paper is an analysis of the results. Findings from the followup examinations are compared with data found among children examined at the initiation of the care programs and at their conclusion.

Use of a bacitracin mouthwash in dental caries control.

TOPICAL fluoride applications have an effectiveness in inhibiting new dental caries that can be readily demonstrated (1-4). However, the topical technique has the major disadvantage of requiring substantial amounts of professional time for making the necessary applications. As a result the procedure is costly as a public health measure and not widely used by private dentists. The continuing search for a simplified and less costly dental caries preventive technique has led to consideration of other procedures and other solutions. A new method and another substance were suggested by studies of the effectiveness of a number of antibiotics in controlling oral lactobacilli (5-7) and in inliibiting dental caries (6,8). Penicillin and bacitracin were found equally effective in curbing dental decay in rats in an investigation in which antibiotics were mixed with selected decay-producing dietaries. The favorable results of these studies suggested the application of one of these antibiotics as a dental caries preventive in humans. Since the use of penicillin for this purpose is contraindicated because some individuals may develop sensitivity, bacitracin was the antibiotic of choice. In an exploratory study conducted among school children in Spotsylvania County, Va., in 1954-55, the relative efficacy of once daily use of mouthwashes of 100 ppm sodium fluoride by one group, 100 ppm sodium silicofluoride by another, and 250 units of zinc bacitracin per ounce by a tlhird group was tested and compared with findings of a control group using a solution of 100 ppm sodium chloride and a second control grotup who used no mouthwash. The negative findings of this study led to the conclusion that the antibiotic solution was not concentrated enough and the applications were not frequent enough to provide an effective anticaries procedure. Furtlhermore, tlhe fluoride solutions as applied in tlhis study did not provide significant caries control.