Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents

Improving oral health among schoolchildren – which approach is best?

“…The systematic review of dental health education and subsequent Cochrane reviews 5,6,7 have all lent their weight to the value of fluoride and the measurable improvements in caries levels that are brought about by interventions which increase its availability. At the same time clear guidance has been given at international and national level about the necessity of tacking health • Discusses the need to take action at a population level to improve the oral health of schoolchildren.…”

Early Childhood Caries in Indigenous Communities

“…A Cochrane Collaboration review revealed that fluoride varnish substantially reduces tooth decay in both primary and permanent teeth. 46 A randomized controlled trial of fluoride varnish offered at least 2 times per year in Indigenous communities in northern Ontario, Canada, revealed an 18% reduction in the 2-year mean caries increment in participating Indigenous children and an adjusted odds ratio for caries incidence of nearly 2 times higher in the control group than in the fluoridevarnish group. 47 Lawrence et al suggested that the costs of fluoride varnish, although small, can be reduced and access could be improved through the expansion of providers of fluoridevarnish applications to include other health workers such as dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental assistants, and primary health care providers such as public health nurses, physician assistants, and other community health workers trained to administer fluoride varnish.…”

Fluoride has a beneficial effect on root caries

“…Selecting only papers written in English does limit the number of potential studies for inclusion, but the paucity of studies conducted in this age group is still clear -particularly in the light of the robust evidence for the effectiveness of a range of fluoride interventions from Cochrane reviews. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9] This review identifies six studies that examined fluoride toothpastes, mouthwashes and varnishes: it reaches the same conclusion as an earlier review by Leake, 10 that topical fluorides are likely to be beneficial.Root caries presents problems in the way it is described and recorded; this was an issue when attempting to combine data from the studies identified in this review. There are also undoubtedly methodological issues when working with older populations.…”