The place of fluoride supplements in caries prevention today

Abstract

There are very few scientifically good clinical trials of fluoride supplements, and those that can be considered methodologically adequate suggest that the contribution of fluoride supplements to caries prevention is slight. This may be partly a consequence of the fact that fluoride is much more widely available today than was the case a generation ago when fluoride toothpaste was not widely used and water fluoridation was not fully implemented. Although some families are conscientious in their use, compliance with fluoride supplement recommendations is generally poor over longer periods, making them a poor public health measure. There is substantial evidence that supplements cause dental fluorosis when used in accordance with recommendations for infants and small children. If the public becomes concerned about dental fluorosis as an aesthetic problem, all fluoride use may be put at risk. Supplements should no longer be recommended for caries prevention in children in areas with little fluoride in water but may be useful for persons with intractable caries risks. If supplements are recommended for children, a more cautious dosage schedule should be used. The fact that supplements have been recommended uncritically for many years on the basis of inadequate research raises questions about the standards of dental science.

Dental disease in children with chronic illness

“…Fluoride is the most important caries protective agent; the levels of decay fell rapidly after the 1970s when fluoridated toothpaste was introduced. 6 The 2003 Children's Dental Survey 7 showed that dental decay in 8, 12, and 15 year olds has decreased since 1983. 8 Despite these trends for improvement, the prevalence of caries in children remains unacceptably high.…”

The role of fluoride tablets in the prophylaxis of dental caries. A literature review

“…Furthermore, some individuals could leave the study in long time scales. Riordan maintains that all these variables can alter the testing results (17). Only a few supplement studies have taken account of factors such as socio-economic status or parent's educational level, but these studies suggest that such variables are more important for caries prevention than the use of supplements (19)(20)(21).…”

“…This fact, according to the author, is the reason of results alteration (14). According to Riordan it is difficult to conduct ethical and adequate studies on fluoride supplements and on dental caries prevention (17). Studies should include a very high number of participants, given the continuous decrease of dental caries prevalence; this raises considerably the cost of the study (18).…”

Preventing Dental Caries in Children : Indian Scenario

“…16 The report of the consultants in dental public health states that additional fluoride supplements (1mg F, 2.2mg NAF per day) are appropriate for high caries risk children and can be used where compliance is likely to be favourable. 17 Fluoride tables (1 mg Fluoride daily) for daily sucking should be considered for children.…”