Primary care clinicians should prescribe systemic fluoride supplementation at age 6 months, if water supply is deficient, and apply fluoride varnish in all children when primary teeth erupt.
Sponsoring Organization: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF)Target Population: Primary care clinicians
Background and Objective
About 42% of children aged 2 to 11 years have dental caries, and the prevalence in children aged 2 to 5 years is increasing. The new recommendations update those from 2004, following systematic review of evidence on the prevention of dental caries by primary care clinicians in children younger than 5 years.
What's Changed
The recommendation to apply fluoride varnish to all children represents a significant change and extends both American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and American Dental Association (ADA) recommendations to apply fluoride varnish to children at high risk for caries. (Risks include low socioecono…
Reviewing Author
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)
DisclosuresGrant/Research SupportNIH Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Center for Pediatric Practice Based Research Learning; Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
Editorial BoardsCurrent Problems in Pediatric Adolescent Healthcare
Leadership Positions in Professional Societies College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Board of Trustees)