Each age , demographic , or stage of life poses dental health challenges . This white paper examines the benefits of using topical fluoride throughout life for caries prevention . Practical advice for explaining the advantages of using fluoride to patients throughout their lives is also provided .
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It has been shown that water fluoridation prevents at least 25 % of tooth decay in both children and adults throughout their lifespan .
Changing Focus
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Historically , much of the emphasis in dental education and in dental practice was directed toward children and very young adults with regard to fluoride recommendations , according to Steven Levy , DDS , MPH , the Wright-Bush-Shreves Endowed Professor of Research in the Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry and Professor , Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology , College of Public Health , at the University of Iowa . “ This is because , at one time , we did actually think that fluoride benefits were most substantial for those groups ,” he explains . “ We didn ’ t think they were very substantial for middle-aged and older adults , partly because of the loss of teeth in those groups . However , over the years that fluoride has been studied , researchers have realized that it is beneficial to everyone .”
Reinforcing the Importance of Fluoride Use for Lifelong Dental Health
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