[Preventive dentistry, particularly in schools].

Dental caries may easily be prevented. Based on experiences extending over 20 years, several preventive programs for schoolchildren can be offered and the one best suited for the local circumstances may be selected. Two types of dental auxiliaries have proved very useful to realize preventive programs on the level of communities and/or cantons, requiring costs of only Fr. 3.--to 7.-- per year and child. Considering the excellent results already available, it should be possible to obtain cooperation even of those communities who have not yet introduced preventive programs. If salt fluoridation could also be generalized, caries levels could be reduced to a fraction of their initial values.