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How many patients each day does your hygienist or if you are the hygienist, how many patients each day do you discuss this topic with?
Who do you believe needs to have caries prevention services such as fluoride varnish place?
Are your patients at risk for caries?
Who are patients you want to recommend flurride varnish for?
Most pediatric patients are excellent candidates for fluoride varnish treatments at least twice a year. Fluoride Varnish has the highest efficacy, it can also help to re-calcify enamel or incipient decay, it’s easy for you to
apply, children are less likely to swallow the varnish and it goes on so quickly without the patient having to sit with these uncomfortable foam trays in their
For patients at moderate risk for caries, it is recommended that you provide this patient with a fluoride varnish treatment and they are sent home with 5 mgs sodium fluoride tooth paste to use each night
at bedtime.
The frequency of periodic oral exams is increased and radiographic evaluation with new bitewing radiographs may be desirable every six to 12 months. A moderate-risk patient in general terms is one
who has some risk factors identified and whose caries balance could likely be moved easily to high risk.
Patients who have moderate or high-risk for decay need additional fluoride therapy. 50 mg Sodium Fluoride, could be added to ensure that the balance is tipped toward arresting the progression of the disease. Moderate
risk patients will include people with caries lesions in the last 18 months, patients with xerostomia, ortho patients and patients who exhibit localized areas of 2 mms or greater recession abractions and especially geriatric
patients with recession and those patients who take various medications which means that xerostomia is most likely since this is the #1 side affect for thousands of medications.
Always check the latest CAMBRA recommendations and the CDT Codes for billing which changes annually. AND Be sure to always offer your patients the highest level of care – Which excludes finances
being a reason to not recommend treatment. Always provide your patients various flexible financial options.
You can look at various resources online for example the CA dental Journal in 2011
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