336

Group

Australian Dental Journal, October, I966

Tota.1 Total Total Total Number of Average Number of Number of Number of Number of

of Age (in Erupted Carious Erupted Carious Surfaces* Surfaces* Children months) Teeth* Teeth*

A pilot study on the effectiveness of a stannous fluoride dentifrice on dental caries in children

Spyros E. Hallkls, B.D.Sc. (Qld.)

SnF,

Control

It is the purpose of this study to evaluate the efficacy of a commercial dentifrice con- taining stannous fluoride and stannous pyro- phosphate* in a limited clinical trial.

Material and method The clinical trial was held at Clontarf Boys’

Town, Perth, Western Australia. One hundred and thirty-seven resident students between the ages of nine and fourteen years were divided into two groups according to age, number of erupted teeth, and caries experience, details of which are shown in Table 1. The boys were first examined in May, 1963. Each child was examined with a mirror and sickle probe while seated in a dental chair, a dental light being used for illumination. Each child’s condition was charted by an assistant on individual examination forms. The following data were included on each examination form: name, age, date of birth, date of examination, erupted and unerupted teeth, missing teeth, teeth to be extracted and filled, and carious surfaces of the individual teeth. The second examination was held in August, 1964. The results of this clinical examination were again

Received for publication, December, 1965. * Rloran toothpaste, supplied by R. M.

Creighton Pty. Ltd., Sydney, N.S.W.

53 153.5 1309 394 7176 758 (25.1) (7.4) (135.4) (14.30)

53 154.2 1304 391 705i 737 (24.6) (7.4) (133.1) (13.90)

noted on individual examination forms as above, the examiner on both occasions being the author. Of the 137 boys present at the first examination, only 106 presented for the second examination. The subjects were not paired, the numeral equality of the two groups being accidental.

The experimental dentifrice used was a commercial dentifrice* containing 0.4 per cent stannous fluoride and 1.00 per cent stannous pyrophosphate. The control dentifrice was the same as the experimental dentifrice but con- tained no stannous fluoride and no stannous pyrophosphate. Both dentifrices were put up in plain, identical tubes, the experimental dentifrice marked with a large letter “A”, the control dentifrice marked with a large letter “B”.

After the initial examination the boys were divided into two groups, Group “A” using the experimental dentifrice and Group “B” using the control dentifrice. Each boy was supplied with a tube of the appropriate dentifrice and was instructed to renew his supply by pre- senting his empty tube to the Brother in charge of issuing the supplies. During school holidays each child was supplied with sufficient dentifrice for the period he was absent from

TABLE 1 Number of erupted and decayed teeth and number of erupted and decayed surfaces of 106 boys aged 9-14 years from Clonturf Boys’ Town, Perth, Western Australia, who took part in a clinical study of the eficacy of a stannous

$ w i d e dentqrice

Australian Dental Journal, October, I966 337

TABLE 2 The effect of a stannow f i M d t a n n o u a p y r o p h p w dentqrice, over a period of fifteen numi?h8, on the dentd

caries experience of 53 bmp, using the DMFT and DMFS indices

Initial Examination Group No. of

Children Teeth* 1 Surfaces*

Mean DMF Increment

Teeth I Surfaces

Mean No. Reversals

Surfaues

6418 3 . 6 1 0.58

- SnF,

-_- 0.66 I (119.2) 6317 I 1 . 9 4 I Control 53 913 I (17.2)

Reduction (per cent) . . . . . . . . I 25.2‘1) I 27.312)

* Mean figures in brackets. ‘1’ P=O. 12. (8’ P=0.07.

the school. The school was supplied with tubes of dentifrice a t the beginning of the trial and twice during the trial, these supplies being made available by the manufacturer. At the beginning of the trial lectures were given on the advantages of tooth brushing and the boys were shown how their teeth should be brushed. Although they were asked to brush their teeth three times a day after meals, it was later ascertained that the majority brushed their teeth only twice a day, after breakfast and after the evening meal. Except for two more lectures on dental health and the importance of brushing their teeth during the period of the trial, the trial was unsuper- vised. The boys were not informed of the nature of the experiment but were told that they had been divided into two groups in order to ascertain which groups brushed their teeth the best and that the results of the competition would be known after the second examination. It was stressed, however, that each child must use only the toothpaste he was assigned and that he must not let his group down. At the time of the second examination the examiner did not know which group the individual belonged to. All boys in the school were examined, including those who had not been present during the first examination. The examination forms were divided into their respective groups only during the final analysis.

Results The data obtained in this study are presented

in Table 2. These data indicate a reduction in the incidence of dental caries a t the end of fifteen months through the use of the stannous fluoride dentifrice. When the DMFT index ia used for evaluating the caries experience in the two groups, a reduction of 25.2 per cent is obtained, and when the DMFS index is used, the reduction is 27.3 per cent.

Summary and conclusion A commercial dentifrice containing 0.4 per

cent stannous fluoride and 1.00 per cent stan- nous pyrophosphate was clinically tested among 106 boys between the ages of nine years and fourteen years. Over a period of fifteen months a reduction of 25.2 per cent was obtained when the DMFT index was used for evaluating the caries experience, and 27.3 per cent when the DMFS index was used. The probability that this result, however, could have occurred by chance cannot be overlooked. Although the number of subjects taking part in this pilot study may be too small for the results to be statistically decisive, they a re such to warrant the expense and effort of a full-scale clinical trial.

6 Hale Street, North Beach,

Western Australia.