Is the fluoride level in drinking water a gold standard for the control of dental caries?

Aim: To obtain baseline knowledge of levels of dental caries in 12-year-old children residing in areas with varying levels of fluoride in drinking water in Pakistan; and to observe a dose-response relationship between the prevalence of dental caries at different concentrations of fluoride in drinking water.
Method: Clinical examination of children and analysis of samples of drinking water.
Results: The maximum reduction of caries in relation to fluoride levels in Pakistan was witnessed between the fluoride concentrations of 0.00-0.33ppm.
Conclusions: There are no gold standards for setting up a universal optimal level of fluoride in drinking water and each country needs to determine the concentration of fluoride in their drinking water in accordance with its socio-economic and climatic conditions, dietary and oral hygiene habits of its population, and local research to determine how much fluoride is beneficial in the control of caries.