[Is the reason for a decrease in dental caries after fluoridation in Basle the delay in tooth eruption?].

In several previous reports it was shown that water fluoridation in Basel has significantly reduced caries frequency in 7--15 year-old schoolchildren. This reduction is only for a small part caused by certain time differences in the eruption of the teeth. Neither can it be explained by instruction and motivation for better nutrition and home care, because mouth hygiene of the Basel schoolchildren has not improved over the last decade. Also, a reduction in sugar consumption could not be observed. Therefore, the conclusion seems justified that water fluoridation is mainly responsible for the reduction of caries.