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- Fluoride varnish treatment effectively inhibits demineralization of teeth, resulting in highly significant dental caries reductions. 1
- Fluoride varnish is an easy, safe way to apply topical fluoride to teeth. 2
- Fluoridated toothpaste and fluoride varnish are the most effective chemical strategies to prevent early childhood caries. 3
- Fluoride varnish applied to the teeth of young children in primary care settings decreases dental caries experience, especially if applied frequently and close to the time of tooth eruption. 4
- Professionally applied fluoride varnish can remineralize early enamel dental caries in children. 5
- Children and adolescents treated with fluoride varnish experience, on average, a 37 percent reduction in their primary teeth and a 43 percent reduction in decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces in their permanent teeth. 6
- Although it is recommended that most children receive a fluoride varnish application at least every 6 months, some children may need monthly applications to reduce early childhood caries risk. 7
- Fluoride varnish is well tolerated by infants and young children, has a prolonged therapeutic effect, and can be applied by both oral health professionals and non-oral-health professionals in a variety of settings. 8
- The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that primary care health professionals apply fluoride varnish to the primary teeth of all infants and children starting at the age of primary tooth eruption and continuing through age 5. 9
- Fluoride varnish can be provided as part of a regular child health clinic program (well or sick visit) by trained pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners, health auxiliaries, or community health workers. 10
- Home visiting models can introduce children and their families to preventive oral health practices, improve oral health literacy, establish dental homes, and provide fluoride varnish applications. 11
- Collaborations between tribal, state, and federal agencies to provide effective tooth-decay-prevention interventions, such as water fluoridation of villages with suitable water systems and provision of fluoride varnishes, should be encouraged. 12
- Sharma G, Puranik MP, Sowmya KR. 2015. Approaches to arresting dental caries: An update. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research 9(5):ZE08–ZE11.
- Manski MC, Parker ME. 2010. Early childhood caries: Knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors of Maryland dental hygienists. Journal of Dental Hygiene 84(4):190–195.
- Garcia R, Borelli B, Dhar V, Douglass J, Gomez FR, Hieftje K, Horowitz A, Li Y, Ng M, Twetman S, Tinanoff N. 2015. Progress in early childhood caries and opportunities in research, policy, and clinical management. Pediatric Dentistry 37(3):294–299.
- Douglass JM, Clark MB. 2015. Integrating oral health into overall health care to prevent early childhood caries: Need, evidence, and solutions. Pediatric Dentistry 37(3):266–274.
- Marinho VCC, Worthington HV, Walsh T, Clarkson JE. 2013. Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 7:CD002279.
- Gao SS, Zhang S, Mei ML, Lo EC, Chu CH. 2016. Caries remineralisation and arresting effect in children by professionally applied fluoride treatment—A systematic review. BMC Oral Health.
- Ramos-Gomez F. 2014. A model for community-based pediatric oral heath: implementation of an infant oral care program. International Journal of Dentistry Epub 156821.
- Clark MB, Slayton RL; American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Oral Health. 2014. Fluoride use in caries prevention in the primary care setting. Pediatrics 134(3):626–633.
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. 2014. Dental caries in children from birth through age 5 years: Screening. Rockville, MD: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
- American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Oral Health. 2014. Maintaining and improving the oral health of young children. Pediatrics 134(6):1224–1229.
- Brickhouse TH, Haldiman RR, Evani B. 2013. The impact of a home visiting program on children's utilization of dental services. Pediatrics (Suppl 2):S147-–S152.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011. Dental caries in rural Alaska Native children: Alaska, 2008. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 60(37):1275–1278.
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