Implementing Fluoride Varnish Application into Primary Care Clinical Practice

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended starting fluoride varnish applications to childen as early as 6 months of age, positioning pediatric primary care providers as a source of preventive care for dental caries, which impact more than half of children under age 5 years of age.

A retrospective chart review of patients in our pediatric primary care clinic was undertaken to determine the impact of fluoride varnish applications on dental caries in children aged <5 years of age.

Since November 2021, there have been 1,916 fluoride applications in the clinic. Of those children who received at least one fluoride application, 96.8% did not go on to have dental caries, whereas 100% with ≥ 3 applications did not develop cavities.

Implementing new primary care practice habits can be very difficult. While no statistical decrease in dental caries has been observed since implementing fluoride varnish, we observed a dose-dependent relationship between fluoride varnish and dental caries.