Video: Intervention

Hello, and welcome to Dentalcare.com's cariology series. This session focuses on intervention. This is part nine of a 10-part series entitled Caries Process and Prevention Strategies. This course introduces a dental professional to the important role of fluoride in the prevention and control of dental caries. Systemic and topical forms of fluoride delivery are discussed as options for the majority of patients, and professional forms of fluoride delivery are discussed as sometimes necessary measures for high-risk patients with severe caries.

First, let's take a couple of clinical significance snapshots, questions that may come up in your practice. First, how can I find out if my patients are getting fluoridated water? The best way is to contact the local water supplier or the State Health Department. Almost 70% of the US population receives water in which the concentration of fluoride has been adjusted to optimal levels. This percentage cannot increase much more, as it's challenging to adjust the fluoride content of wells and other individual water sources. With the increased consumption of bottled water, not all people living in an area of water fluoridation may be receiving the optimal amounts of fluoride.