Prevention of dental caries can be done by Topical Application or Gargling with Fluor solution. Another way of giving fluoride to prevent caries is the fluoridation of drinking water.
The definition of drinking water fluoridation is a way to add a lot of fluoride concentration in drinking water, that is approximately 1 ppm, so it gives the highest advantage for dental health.
The benefits of Drinking Water Fluoridation are:
1. The frequency of caries or cavities is derived approximately 60%.
2. Loss of the first permanent molar teeth is lowered 75%.
3. Caries on the proximal surface of the four upper incisors is reduced approximately 95%.
4. It is found caries-free individuals 6-fold.
Besides fluoridation conducted on the sources of society drinking water, it can also be done in the drinking water of schools, when the society drinking water fluoridation may not work.
When fluorine is mixed into the drinking water at a concentration of 1 ppm, the tendency of the proximal surface caries in the permanent upper incisors is reduced ten-fold or more.
A number of experiments that were conducted in several countries, especially the United States and Europe show that several years after fluoridation held, it was found the effect of dental caries prevalence approximately 50% and the reduction of the total caries affected of the surface.
Besides the benefits that are directly addressed to the condition of tissue teeth, fluoridation is an economical act since the cost is relatively cheap, but for the effectiveness, fluoridation can only be run in places where there is an organized supply of drinking water.
