How many of you think your patients would be happier with less tooth sensitivity and a slowing of tooth decay?
Are you nodding? I thought you might be.
For a long time fluoride foams and gels were the top choice for dentists to help protect their patients’ teeth. But they are far from perfect. The ease of swallowing them makes them unsafe for younger kids. Their application in the office can be messy and uncomfortable for patients (4 minutes for full effectiveness!). And patients who receive them must refrain from eating and drinking for hours after an appointment. So, the fluoride from foams and gels is great. The rest? Not so much.
They simply don’t hold up to the continually advancing fluoride varnish treatments being offered today.
Today’s fluoride varnishes can be applied to teeth in minutes without messy trays or excess dripping out of the mouth, dry on teeth almost instantly, have pleasant flavors, show up clear or white, and allow for eating and drinking directly after the appointment.
Not to mention because they are painted on the teeth and then dry to form a thin cover that doesn’t immediately rinse off with eating or drinking, varnishes can give continuous fluoride release up to 24 hours after the initial application for increased fluoride absorption into the tooth surface. This means even greater protection against sensitivity and reduction of tooth decay for your patients.
Additionally, because fluoride varnish is not easily swallowed it can even be applied even on infants’ first teeth, meaning you only need one type of fluoride treatment for all your patients.
So, it sounds like it’s Varnish for the win, my friends.
