This procurement is for a clinical trial designed to determine the effectiveness of the daily use of (1) a 0.05 percent neutral sodium fluoride mouthrinse and (2) a 1.1. percent neutral sodium fluoride gel in reducing dental caries on coronal and root surfaces of teeth in adults. After obtaining informed consent and conducting oral screening examinations, the investigators will select 4,500 subjects from a population of working adults and their spouses residing in the southern portion of Maine. The volunteers will be assigned randomly to: one of two test groups whose participants will either rinse daily with a fluoride-containing mouthrinse or brush-on gel or (b) one of two control subgroups whose participants will either rinse daily with an equivalent placebo mouthrinse or brush-on gel. Clinical examinations of participants will be conducted at baseline and after 16, 32, and 48 months of treatment. Data will be collected regarding dental caries experience, gingival recession, gingival pocket depth, health history, sociodemographic characteristics of participants, and compliance with treatment regimens.
