FLUORIDES IN DENTISTRY: From First Tooth Onward : Fluoride's Role in Lifelong Oral Health

Regular use of fluorides has been a cornerstone of preventive dentistry for many years. Today, however, not all children or adults seem to be at risk for dental caries. Recent epidemiological studies have shown a major decline in dental caries prevalence and a sizable increase in children who are “caries-free”. There are many reasons for this decline, but, without a doubt, the use of fluoride has played a major and predominant role. Although fluorides should remain one of the cornerstones for caries prevention, there is a need to determine the magnitude of their benefits under current conditions. In recent years, there has been a switch from using mass caries preventive methods designed for all children in a community or school system to techniques that target the specific needs of individual children. With the growing emphasis on prevention-based dentistry, topical fluoride treatment has led to early disease prevention. Primary prevention, with minimal effort and maximum results, can be instituted in pediatric dental practice.