What is it about?
Fluoride plays a major role in caries prevention and not much is published regarding its efficacy in preventing periodontitis. The paper reports on the oral health status of <100 subjects living in a remote rural area in the Western Cape, South Africa and although found to have massive plaque accumulations on their teeth, their caries and periodontitis prevalence was minimal.
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Why is it important?
The high fluoride levels of their water supply, along with their basic diet and lifestyle, largely influenced the susceptibility of these individuals to destructive periodontal disease. This study highlights the importance of environmental factors in determining host susceptibility to infection.
Perspectives
This population appears to harbour a dental biofilm which protects against periodontal destruction, creating an interest in further investigation of the microbes contained within this biofilm.
Emerita Professor Charlene WJ Africa
University of the Western Cape
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Prevalence and severity of periodontitis in a high fluoride area in South Africa, Community Dentistry And Oral Epidemiology, April 1985, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1985.tb01688.x.
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