Evening star., 1948-05-27
FIuoride Treatments
Planned in Schools 10
Check Tooth Decay
BY George Beveridge

By George Beveridse
The District Health Department
hopes by next fall to make avail
able free applications of the new
sodium fuoride dental treatment
which cuts teeth decay by more
than 40 per cent-to thousands OF
District children in the kinder
garten, first and second grades.
Plans were disclosed TO- The Star
today for what officials believe will
be one of the largest organized
dental decay prevention school pro-
grams in the country.
DR.. A. Harry Ostrow, Health De-
partment dental chief, said tenta-
tive machinery already has been
set up by which teams will tour
schools to offer the service to chill
dren in the lower grades of both
public and parochial schools.
Still in doubt is whether the SIM
pie treatment will be made by
dentists or, as the Health Depart
ment prefers, by dental hygienists.
Board Raises Question.
Members of the District Board OF
Dental Examiners. officials said,
first raised the question of whether
present law would permit hygienists
to perform the service.
After the question was raised
Health Officer George C. Rutland
asked the corporation counsel for
an opinion on the law. which au-
thorizes hygienists to clean teeth.
AS a result the District has pro-
posed legislation for change in
the Dental Practice Act. which spe-
cifcally would authorize hygienists
to make the f1uoride applications.
The legislative proposal left the
Commissioners May for the Budget
Bureau. with request for approval
1t was learned. 1t has not been re-
turned. DR.. j. r. Palkin, chairman
of the Board of Examiners, said he
thought there would be no objection
from the board to the hygienist pro-
posal, as long as the law is changed.
If the legislative change does not
clear Congress this session, attempts
will be made to obtain dentists to
give the service. DR.. OStroW said.
This. he pointed out, would mean
greater expense to the program be-
cause Of higher salaries paid the
dentists.
USPHS Funds Sought.
DR.. Ostrow explained the program
Is being held up to see how much
money can be made available from
the United States Public Health
Service for new personnel. If ade-
quate funds are not available, he
said, the result would be a cutdown
in other phases of the dental pro-
gram here to divert personnel to
the fluorine program.
Provisions for a Nation wide dem
onstration program of the new tech
nlque, meanwhile, are contained in
a pending supplemental appropria-
ton bill for the Federal Security
Agency The measure, which has
passed the House and gone through
Senate committee hearings, would
give the USPHS s1,OOO,000 to set up
demonstration teams in each State
and the District to publicize and
demonstrate the process.
Dr.. John w. Knutsop, USPHS
senior dental surgeon. said extensive
studfes shave proved fehtcfusiveE
that application of the chemical to
Chidren's teeth cuts down decay
by at least 40 per cent.
Other officials termed the 40 per
cent figure very conservative. DR..
Ostrow said that. in a;stpdy. of 1000
Negro children here befffe Che war,
decay was found over a period of a
year to be cut down as much as go
per cent.
2 Per Cent Solution Used.
First step in the simple applica-
tion is thorough cleansing of the
teeth Teeth surfaces then are COM
pletely dried with compressed air
and a per cent solution of sodium
fuoride is applied by means of a |
swab, spray or motor driven rubber
cup.
Second, third and fourth applica-
tions should be made at one-week
intervals, DR.. Knutson said, except
that cleaning need be done only be-
fore the first application. DR..
Knutson said USPHS suggests that
the applications should be made to
childrens teeth at the ages of 3,
T. 10 and 13, to cover teeth at all
stages of their development.
Duration of the decay-inhibiting
effect is not fully known, Results of
studies for three to five years, how
ever, indicate there is no appreci-
able loss in prophylactic value dur
ing that time. he said. There also
have been no conclusive studies, Of
ficials said. to indicate how effective
the treatment would be for adults.
DR.. Knutson said the chemical. in
amounts used in the process, is
entirely safe. Further experiments,
meanwhile, are continuing to test
efficiency of potassium fiuoride and
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