An in vivo enamel biopsy technique was used to determine relationships between dental caries experience and surface enamel fluoride levels in a group of young men from three fluoridated cities on the east coast of the U.S. A significant inverse relationship between enamel thickness and fluoride concentration was observed, and a weak but statistically significant inverse relationship between caries scores and enamel fluoride concentration was noted. The effect was most pronounced in biopsies which did not exceed 5.9 μm in depth.
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