Fluoride Varnish
Fluoride Varnish Benefits:
- Safe, inexpensive, and effective
- Studies demonstrate 30-35% caries reduction
- Strengthens enamel and can stabilize and prevent progression of early caries (white spots) and slow enamel destruction in active ECC
- Quickly and easily applied
- Total time required ~Â 2 minutes (mean 130 seconds and median 110 seconds) including time to set up
- Varnish application time is about 40 seconds (see Table 3)
- Children can eat and drink shortly after application
- No associated treatment-related adverse events in young children
- Medicaid and many private insurers reimburse application by primary care clinicians in all states
- Varnish application saves health care dollars: A study in Virginia found that, accounting for averted dental restoration costs, primary care fluoride varnish application would save $75.32 per child.
- Varnish application can be easily integrated into medical practice
Apply Your Knowledge
The cases in this course are an opportunity to apply concepts that have been or will be covered in the subsequent slides. Cases can help guide your learning.
Note: Case responses do not count toward your module score.
References
Pahel BT, Rozier RG, Stearns SC, Quiñonez RB.Effectiveness of preventive dental treatments by physicians for young Medicaid enrollees. Pediatrics. 2011.127:e682-e689.
Garcia RI, Gregorich SE, Ramos-Gomez F, et al. Absence of Fluoride Varnish–Related Adverse Events in Caries Prevention Trials in Young Children, United States. Prev Chronic Dis. 2017; 14(E7): 1-10.
Keyser RS, Rodriguez-Jacobo E, Scherrer C. A Time Study Analysis of Fluoride Varnish Application in Pediatric Well Visits to Address Health Disparities among Children. J Appl Res Ind Eng. 2024 Jun;11(2):283-297.Â
Scherrer CR, Naavaal S. Cost-Savings of Fluoride Varnish Application in Primary Care for Medicaid-Enrolled Children in Virginia. J Pediatr. 2019; 212:201-207.e1.