Fluoride Varnish and Primary Care

Background: Dental caries are the most common chronic disease affecting children in the United States today. Fluoride varnish, an agent used in preventive oral health to prevent tooth decay, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1994. Previous studies have been performed in primary care offices to determine what prevents administering fluoride varnish applications. This study aims to identify primary care physicians' and pediatricians' barriers to the availability of, communicating the importance of use, and administering fluoride varnish as a routine part of preventive oral health care for children in Kansas.

Methods: Participants were primary care providers in the state of Kansas, identified by two e-mail databases; family practice physicians' through the Family Medicine Research and Data Information Office (FM RADIO) database, and pediatricians through the American Association of Pediatrics, Kansas Chapter distribution e-mail database. Two surveys were developed and each was e-mailed out to its respective group.

Results: Fourteen percent of respondents reported that they offer fluoride varnish applications. Seventeen percent indicated they have considered it for use, and 58% indicated they were more likely to consider offering applications if they were reimbursed. The most common responses about what prevented administering fluoride varnish applications were time, training, and resources.

Conclusion: To increase fluoride varnish applications during primary care, awareness about fluoride varnish, and its effectiveness, needs to become a top priority, in addition to continuing training to the practices that would like to receive training. The barriers of time and resources also need to be addressed.