4.2 Fluoride Varnish
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| Photo: Used with permission from American
Academy of Pediatrics. 2008. Oral
Health Risk Assessment: Training for Pediatricians and Other
Child Health Professionals. Elk Grove Village, IL: American
Academy of Pediatrics. |
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Most fluoride varnishes are lacquers containing 5 percent sodium fluoride
or 0.1 percent difluorosilane. Relatively new in the United States,
fluoride varnish has been used widely for over 30 years in Canada and
Europe. Fluoride varnish has been found effective in preventing caries
in permanent teeth. More recently it has been shown to prevent or reduce
caries in primary teeth.
Fluoride varnish has several advantages over other professionally applied
fluorides. These include:
- Does not require special dental equipment
- Has a pleasant taste and is well tolerated by infants, young
children, and children with special health care needs
- Is easy to apply
- Adheres to tooth surface for several hours
- Penetrates plaque and does not require a professional cleaning
beforehand
- Has negligible ingestion with low risk of developing fluorosis
in permanent teeth
- Is inexpensive
- Application requires minimal training and takes little time
- Pre-measured single-dose containers ensure dispensing the
correct amount
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