A lifetime approach

It used to be said that dental caries was a childhood disease and that it was children alone who benefited from fluoride, however this view is now outdated. While it is true that fluoride can be incorporated during tooth development, the general consensus is that it is the topical delivery of fluoride post-eruption that is most effective. This means that fluoride prevention is required throughout life and provides benefits to all age groups.

Many dental teams have asked the health department for clear guidance about the preventive advice they should give, and the actions they should take, to be sure they are doing the best for their patients in preventing and managing caries. In order to support this preventive approach, the health department published Delivering better oral health - An evidence-based toolkit for prevention.­ This guidance document, intended for the whole dental team, provides guidance on how to implement the evidence informed actions.