A three-year clinical caries evaluation of the effect of a sodium fluoride-silica abrasive dentifrice.

This study was conducted to determine if the anticaries effectiveness of a 0.243% sodium fluoride-silica abrasive dentifrice is superior to a 0.4% stannous fluoride-calcium pyrophosphate dentifrice. A nonfluoride, calcium pyrophosphate abrasive placebo dentifrice was also included at one-third the sample size of the active treatment groups to estimate the level of efficacy of the sodium fluoride dentifrice. A total of 3,093 schoolchildren were randomly assigned at a ratio of 3:3:1 to the sodium fluoride dentifrice, the stannous fluoride dentifrice, or the placebo dentifrice, respectively. Caries examinations were made by the same examiner initially and after one, two, and three years of ad libitum product usage. After three years, the results showed that the group using the sodium fluoride dentifrice had significantly fewer DMF teeth and DMF surfaces increments than the group using the stannous fluoride dentifrice. The percent reductions for DMF teeth and DMF surfaces were 24.2% and 22.6%, respectively. Both groups using fluoride dentifrices also had significantly fewer DMF teeth and DMF surfaces increments than the group using the placebo dentifrice.