Abstract
In this study, the use of fluoride toothpaste was surveyed by questionnaire in 2,188 subjects aged between 1 and 56 years in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, for the purpose of the promotion of its use. The subjects were categorized as 1-3 year-old children, 4-5 year-old children, primary school children, their parents and vocational school students. The survey was carried out from April to June 2000 using a questionnaire prepared by the Committee for the Promotion of Fluoride Use of the Japanese Society for Dental Health, and the results were as follows : 1. Tooth brushing was performed once a day or more in 88.8% of the subjects. The percentages of the daily use of fluoride during brushing in 1-3 year-old children, 4-5 year-old children, primary school children, vocational school students and the parents were 13.4, 34.0, 52.3, 55.3 and 66.5 (%), respectively. 2. The parents and vocational school students used a larger amount of toothpaste and rinsed more frequently than younger subjects. There was a significant difference in the frequency of mouth rinsing after brushing among the groups, dependent on the amount of toothpaste used. 3. The first reason for toothpaste selection was the preventive effect on dental caries and the second was inclusion of fluoride. For infants, most of the parents did not use toothpaste because of the anxiety of swallowing toothpaste. The vocational school students selected toothpaste primarily because it was available at home. Our findings suggested that dental professionals should prepare guidelines for appropriate use of toothpaste and should recommend the use of fluoride-containing toothpaste to increase exposure to small amounts of fluoride.
