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Evidence summaries

Fluoridated Milk for Preventing Dental Caries

The evidence on the effects of fluoridated milk in preventing dental caries is insufficient. Fluoridated milk seems to, however, be beneficial to schoolchildren, especially for their permanent dentition. Level of evidence: "D"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 on the effectiveness of fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries included two studies with a total of 353 children.

For permanent teeth, after 3 years there was a significant reduction in the decayed, missing and filled figures on tooth (DMFT; 78.4%, p < 0.05) between the test and control groups in one trial, but not in the other. The latter study only showed a significant reduction in the DMFT until the fourth (35.5%, p < 0.02) and fifth (31.2%, p < 0.05) years. For primary teeth, again there was a significant reduction in the dmft (31.3%, p < 0.05) between the test and control groups after 3 years in one study, but not in the other.

    References

    • Yeung CA, Hitchings JL, Macfarlane TV, Threlfall AG, Tickle M, Glenny AM. Fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005 Jul 20;(3):CD003876. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords