Does Water Fluoridation Affect the Pits and Fissures of the Tooth, the Area Where Most Cavities Occur?

Nine out of ten cavities occur in the grooves, or pits and fissures, of the chewing surfaces of the teeth. The greatest reduction in pit and fissure cavities occurs when fluoridated water is received continually, both before and after the teeth emerge into the mouth.

A study by Groeneveld, Van Eck, and Dirks found that about 66% of the greatest reduction in pit and fissure caries came from pre-eruptive fluoride..provided that the fluoride was also consumed post-eruptively for a considerable period of time. (Groeneveld, A., Van Eck, A.A., and Dirks, O.B., Fluoride in caries prevention: is the effect pre- or post-eruptive? J Dent Res 69, Spec Iss: 751-755, February, 1990.)