Systematic review of water fluoridation.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:To review the safety and efficacy of fluoridation of drinking water. DESIGN:Search of 25 electronic databases and world wide web. Relevant journals hand searched; further information requested from authors. Inclusion criteria were a predefined hierarchy of evidence and objectives. Study validity was assessed with checklists. Two reviewers independently screened sources, extracted data, and assessed validity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Decayed, missing, and filled primary/permanent teeth. Proportion of children without caries. Measure of effect was the difference in change in prevalence of caries from baseline to final examination in fluoridated compared with control areas. For potential adverse effects, all outcomes reported were used. RESULTS:214 studies were included. The quality of

SUBMITTER: McDonagh MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC27492 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature