fluoride varnish

Fluoride varnish is a highly concentrated topical dental treatment, typically containing 5% sodium fluoride (22,600 ppm fluoride) in a resinous or synthetic base. It is applied by healthcare professionals to the tooth surface, where it hardens upon contact with saliva, allowing for a prolonged release of fluoride ions over several hours. The primary therapeutic effect is the promotion of enamel remineralization; fluoride ions substitute for hydroxyl groups in the tooth's hydroxyapatite crystal lattice to form fluorapatite, which is significantly more resistant to acid-induced demineralization. Additionally, fluoride exerts an antimicrobial effect by inhibiting bacterial enzymes such as enolase, thereby reducing the production of lactic acid by cariogenic bacteria like Streptococcus mutans. In the context of the Intensive Preventative Dental Program (IPDP) at Wake Forest University Health Sciences, fluoride varnish is utilized as a prophylactic intervention to prevent rapid dental caries and periodontal disease in head and neck cancer patients who have undergone radiation therapy, a population at high risk due to radiation-induced xerostomia.

Brand names

FluoroDose

Other names

sodium fluoride varnishprescription fluoride varnish