This paper reports on two studies exploring similarities and contrasts in knowledge, attitudes and opinions on fluorides and fluoridation of two culturally different population groups. The first study compares the attitudes and opinions of parents of primary (elementary) schoolchildren in Melbourne, Australia, and Yokohama, Japan, and the second study compares the attitudes and opinions of dentists drawn from the same geographic areas. A self-administered questionnaire collected data on 517 parents and 629 dentists. The questionnaires were of similar design and content for both parents and dentists. They included a series of knowledge and attitudinal statements on preventive dentistry and use of fluorides. Attitudinal responses were measured on a 5-point agree-disagree Likert scale. Data were analyzed using both bivariate and multivariate techniques. Australian parents appeared better informed on the benefits of water fluoridation and held more favorable opinions on fluorides and fluoridation than their Japanese counterparts. Similarly, Australian dentists held more positive attitudes toward the use of fluorides and fluoridation than their Japanese peers. Cultural norms and experiences appear to shape parental attitudes, whereas the focus of dental education and dental practice on restorative treatments in Japan appears to be a substantial influence on the attitudes and opinions held by Japanese dentists.

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Abstract:Over the period from April 1985 to March 1986 we studied of 1019 pregnant women

Golden hamsters are often used as an animal model periodontal disease. They were examined for the relationships among bone resorption, root surface caries, and a change in oral microflora caused by the introduction of D#2000. The present study consisted of two experimentations to investigate those relationships. One was to investigate relationships in two groups: an experimental group started on D#2000 at the age of 5 weeks for 8 weeks, and a control group fed on CE-2 powder for the same period. The other was to investigate the influence of aging on bone resorption, and the changes in microflora by changing the time of starting feeding with D#2000. The results were as follows. 1) Root surface caries and alveolar bone resorption were obviously increased by feeding D#2000. 2) There was no difference in growth condition between the experimental and control groups, but the level of blood sugar in the experimental group was slightly higher than in the control group. 3) The oral microflora of the golden hamsters contained a variety of bacterial species and was similar to that of human beings. Gram-negative cocci were predominant in the experimental group, and Gram-positive cocci were predominant in the control group. 4) The later the start of giving D#2000, the greater was the incidence of root surface caries and

Study of the Relationship Between Well Water and Dental Caries in Kurosecho, Yoshitsugu IMAI* and Tyuya KITAMURA**. We examined the relationship between fluorine ion density, pH, and chlorine ion density in drinking water and dental caries in the Nominoo area, Kurose-cho, Kamo-gun, Hiroshima, from the information about people who came