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Fluoride knowledge and prescription practices among dentists.
Sena Narendran1, Jarvis T Chan, Stewart D Turner
1Department of Community Dentistry, Case School of Dental Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. sena.narendran@case.edu
Journal of Dental Education
|September 7, 2006
Summary
Dentists show gaps in fluoride knowledge and prescription practices, particularly regarding correct ages for supplementation and water fluoride testing. Educational interventions are needed to improve fluoride care for children.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Public Health
- Pediatric Dentistry
Background:
- Fluoride is crucial for preventing dental caries.
- Optimal fluoride prescription requires accurate knowledge of patient factors and water fluoride levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate general and pediatric dentists' knowledge of fluoride.
- To assess current fluoride prescription practices among dentists.
Main Methods:
- A self-administered mail questionnaire was used.
- Data collected from 360 general and 41 pediatric dentists in Houston.
- An effective response rate of 46.4% was achieved after three mailings.
Main Results:
- Many dentists incorrectly identified optimal ages for fluoride supplementation.
- A significant portion of dentists did not consider patient weight or test water fluoride levels.
- While some differences existed, pediatric and general dentists showed no significant disparity in prescribing fluorides.
Conclusions:
- Dentists exhibit deficiencies in fluoride knowledge and prescription practices.
- There is a clear need for targeted educational interventions to enhance fluoride care.
- Improving dentist education can lead to better caries prevention strategies.
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