Combat Cavities: Pediatric Clinic offers fluoride varnish program

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, UNITED STATES

11.26.2018

Story by Airman 1st Class Caitlin Russell 

Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson   

The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson 673d Medical Operations Squadron pediatric clinic is now offering a fluoride varnish program at the clinic in an effort to reduce cavities, increase knowledge and raise the amount of children visiting the dentist before cavities appear.
“While on a TDY to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam – where the oral health is poor amongst the vast population – I facilitated in creating a fluoride varnish program there,” said U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles Dunn, 673d MDOS pediatric clinic pediatrician. “After establishing the program, I came to the realization that it would be beneficial to have at JBER as well. So we [Pediatric Clinic] conducted a survey and discovered that of all of our patients ages 0 to 2 years old, less than a quarter of them were plugged in with a dentist.
“It was from this survey that we realized that we needed to improve our dental referral process, education for families and to make fluoride varnish available,” Dunn said. “Having the program provides the bridge needed between dentist and pediatrician. The goal of the program is to get children plugged in with a dentist by the age of 12 months.”
The fluoride varnish is offered at all well-visits and oral health screening walk-ins are welcome. Well-visits occur for children at six months, nine months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, and yearly afterwards.
“Regardless of the child’s level of oral health risk factors, we offer them the fluoride varnish,” Dunn said. “The treatment is the equivalent to brushing the child’s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, for up to six months. So we provide the treatment itself, follow-up care instructions and contact information for pediatric dentists in the area.”
Fluoride varnish is a dental treatment used to help prevent tooth decay, slow it down or stop it from getting worse. The varnish is made with fluoride, a mineral that strengthens tooth enamel. Fluoride varnish is safe and only a small amount is applied during treatment.
“The child’s teeth is painted with the fluoride resin, and once it hits their enamel, it solidifies and pushes into their teeth,” said Airman 1st Class Erika Rhode, 673d MDOS pediatric clinic medical technician. “The overall response has been really positive so far. I don’t think a lot of parents knew when to start applying the fluoride varnish, so it’s been very educational. We’ve been able to tackle a lot of misconceptions about fluoride.”
Common misconceptions the clinic encountered were children should not be exposed to fluoride, fluoride does not prevent dental decay and fluoride is not needed until adult teeth are in.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there about oral health, so a lot of the campaign has been about improving overall oral health education,” Dunn said. “Already we’ve seen an improvement in the amount of parents saying, ‘Yes, I brush my child’s teeth twice a day’. Or, ‘Yes, my child has received the fluoride varnish in the last six months’.”
When the fluoride varnish is applied to a child’s non-permanent teeth throughout the developmental stage any fluoride is incorporated into his or hers permanent teeth, making the enamel stronger overall.
“The purpose of the treatment is to prevent cavities, and the first step is strengthening the enamel,” Dunn said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cavities are the most common form of chronic dental disease in children. The CDC also stated 20 percent of children between the ages of five and eleven have a cavity that goes untreated. For children, untreated cavities can cause pain, impaired ability to chew food, school absences, difficulty concentrating and poor appearance.
The prevention of cavities should start within six months of children obtaining their first tooth or at the age of 12 months, whichever occurs first.
While fluoride varnish cannot completely prevent cavities, when it is added to using fluoride toothpaste, brushing twice a day, flossing and regular dental care, it can aid in prevention.

• Date Taken: 11.26.2018
• Date Posted: 11.26.2018 19:16
• Story ID: 301274
• Location: JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, AK, US