Rather than a specific commentary to Dr. Rawls' presentation, this reaction paper discusses the general concept of fluoride addition to dental materials. The genesis of the concept is reviewed, but more important is a critique of the rationale for the deliberate addition of fluoride to dental materials. Researchers and practicing dentists should realize that if the principal reason for the addition of fluoride is to prevent dental caries, the ultimate test of that rationale is a controlled clinical trial. Thus, although a number of questions need to be answered when fluoride is introduced into dental materials, the most important is: Does it inhibit dental caries?
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