TABLE 2. Number of present teeth and percentage of tooth loss (M-T component of DMF-T) according to age group and fluoridated (Fl) and Non-fluoridated (Non-Fl) water. Southeast Region of São Paulo State, 1998.

		Mean Number of present teeth			Tooth loss
		Fl	Non-Fl	p*	Fl (%)	Non-Fl (%)	p*
35-44 years old		22.1a	19.9b	<0.001	36.5a	45.4b	<0.001
	Male	22.0a	20.5b	<0.001	45.1a	47.6a	0.08
	Female	22.2a	19.7b	<0.001	34.4a	44.6b	<0.001
65-74 years old		9.4a	9.8a	0.23	78.6a	82.5b	<0.001
	Male	8.7a	12.7b	<0.001	81.7a	78.0b	0.003
	Female	9.9a	7.4b	<0.001	76.4a	85.9b	<0.001

Means followed by different letters in the same line differ in relation to fluoridated water (p <0.05; Chi-square test).