Participation in a fluoride mouth rinsing program at least during elementary school is a predictor for the reduction in the prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth according to a recent study published in the International Dental Journal.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the posttreatment effects of a school-based fluoride mouth-rinsing programme (FMR) on the prevalence of dental caries.

The researchers included 364 newly enrolled university students aged 20 to 25 years who were not in any fluoride mouth-rinsing programme and 187 students who had previously participated in such programmes. They calculated the prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth and the mean decayed, missing, and filled surfaces (DMFS) according to sex, age, fluoride mouth-rinsing programmes, and dental health behaviours. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyse the association between dichotomous variables (caries present or absent), demographic data, fluoride mouth-rinsing programme participation, and dental health behaviours.
The Results of the study are:
The difference in the prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth between the subjects who participated in the fluoride mouth-rinsing programme (51.3%) and those who did not (64.5%) was statistically significant.
There were 39.6% fewer DMFS in the subjects who participated in the fluoride mouth-rinsing programme at least during elementary school.
The multivariate logistic regression model analysis demonstrated that subjects who participated in the fluoride mouth-rinsing programme at least during elementary school were protected against dental caries as compared to those who did not.
Age and sex were risk predictors of dental caries in adults, whilst other variables were not associated with dental caries.
Thus, participation in an fluoride mouth-rinsing programme at least during elementary school is a predictor for the reduction in the prevalence of dental caries in permanent teeth.
Reference:
Daisuke Yonezawa, Minoru Yagi. Effect of a School-based Fluoride Mouth-rinsing Programme on Dental Caries, International Dental Journal, Volume 72, Issue 4, 2022, Pages 506-511, ISSN 0020-6539,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.identj.2021.12.003.