Implementing Fluoride Varnish Application into Primary Care Clinical Practice.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Primary Care
• Preventive Dentistry
• Public Health

Background:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends fluoride varnish for children starting at 6 months.
• Pediatric primary care providers are crucial for delivering preventive dental care.
• Dental caries affect over 50% of children under 5 years old.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of fluoride varnish applications on dental caries in children under 5 years old within a pediatric primary care setting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of patients under 5 years old.
• Analysis of fluoride varnish application records and subsequent development of dental caries.

Main Results:

• Over 1,900 fluoride applications were administered since November 2021.
• 96.8% of children receiving at least one fluoride application did not develop dental caries.
• 100% of children receiving three or more fluoride applications remained cavity-free.

Conclusions:

• Implementing new practice habits like fluoride varnish in primary care can be challenging.
• A dose-dependent relationship was observed between fluoride varnish application frequency and the prevention of dental caries.
• While not statistically significant, the results suggest a positive trend in caries reduction with increased fluoride varnish use.