Treatment and posttreatment effects of chewable fluoride tablets on dental caries: findings after 7 1/2 years.

The data from the Wayne County study indicate that administration of fluoride tablets in school should be recommended in nonfluoridated areas as an effective public health measure for the prevention of dental caries. The finding that benefits persist for at least 1 1/2 years after treatment is discontinued further accentuates the public health appeal of the procedure. As the data show no clear-cut superiority in posttreatment benefits for two fluoride tablets a day, a single tablet daily can be recommended as more suitable for school programs because of lower cost and greater feasibility.