Interim report on DMF-reduction 16 years after the introduction of a preventive program.

Supervised toothbrushing with fluoride containing preparations and information on prevention of dental disease was introduced in 1963/64 for the majority of schools in the Canton of Zurich. Standardized examinations were carried out every 4 years, starting in 1963. From 1963 to 1979, DMFT levels decreased by 58-60%. Reductions of DF counts were highest in free smooth surfaces of molars and in anterior teeth, exceeding 90%. In contrast, pit and fissure carious lesions were reduced by 55%. Approximal caries also diminished substantially but the findings cannot be summarized by simple percent reductions. The number of sound primary teeth increased markedly from 1963 to 1975.