A clinical evaluation of a sodium fluoride dentifrice.

A double-blind study to determine the anticaries efficacy of a neutral pH dentifrice containing sodium fluoride and a high Beta-phase calcium pyrophosphate was conducted among elementary school children in Kansas City, Missouri. A sample of 567 children ages 8-13 were recruited and randomly assigned to test and control groups: the test group received a sodium fluoride high Beta-phase calcium pyrophosphate dentifrice, and the control group received a calcium pyrophosphate dentifrice without the active ingredient. The sodium fluoride dentifrice contained fluoride at the level of 1000 ppm. Caried examinations were conducted at initiation, after 12 months, and again after 24 months at the study's termination. All examinations (clinical and radiographic) were performed by the same investigator. At 12 months the sodium fluoride dentifrice demonstrated a caries reduction of 24.1% (DMFS). At 24 months the reduction demonstrated was 30.1% (DMFS); this reduction is significant at alpha = 0.05.