Fluoride sealants

Caries must be managed as a ________ disease requiring prevention and control of disease progression

chronic

________ % of decay occurs on occlusal surfaces making them the primary target for sealant application

80

Resin-based sealants applied on occlusal surfaces of permanent molars reduce the odds of developing caries by ________ % at 36 months compared to no sealant

83

At 48-54 months resin-based sealants reduce the odds of developing caries by ________ % compared to no sealant

79

In a Cochrane review of 34 RCTs over 9 years sealed teeth showed an ________ % reduction in the odds of caries developing

88

In a moderate-risk group the Cochrane review found ________ % of unsealed teeth developed pit and fissure decay vs only 6% of sealed teeth

40

In a high-risk group the Cochrane review found ________ % of unsealed teeth developed pit and fissure decay vs 19% of sealed teeth

70

Sealants applied on sound or non-cavitated surfaces reduced the risk of developing new carious lesions by ________ % after 2 years of follow-up

76

After 7 or more years children with sealants had a caries incidence of 29% while those without sealants had a caries incidence of ________ %

74

Sealants reduce viable bacteria by up to ________ %

99

The caries preventive effect of a sealant largely relies on its ________ over time

retention

When applying sealants ________ control is important but there is no difference in effectiveness between rubber dams / cotton rolls or dental isolation systems

moisture

Cleaning the tooth surface before applying a sealant is ________ (required/optional)

required

Mechanical preparation with burs is ________ recommended before sealant placement

not

Acid ________ cannot be replaced by any other tooth surface preparation before sealant placement

etching

Sealants are indicated for ________ tooth surfaces and early decay — they are not just for sound teeth

sound

A clinical study showed that caries progression was rarely detected for ICDAS 2 to ICDAS 4 lesions sealed with resin sealant at ________ month follow-up

24

Sealants need to be ________ and reapplied as needed

monitored

The most effective fluoride strategy is ________ low-level application throughout the day

daily

The two most effective daily low-level fluoride strategies are fluoride ________ and water fluoridation

toothpaste

The two most widely used fluoride formulations are NaF and MFP which show _________ (little/significant) difference in effectiveness

little

For caries prevention fluoride ________ is the important variable while for fluorosis prevention fluoride dose and volume are important

concentration

The recommended home fluoride toothpaste use is ________ times per day especially before bed without fully rinsing out

twice (2)

After brushing with fluoride toothpaste patients should use only a ________ amount of water to rinse to maintain fluoride in the mouth

small

The standard fluoride concentration in toothpaste in the US is ________ ppm

1000-1100

For high-risk patients a prescription fluoride toothpaste of ________ ppm may be recommended

5000

Prescription topical fluoride use is based on ________ rather than being given to all patients

risk

Every patient with existing active caries lesions is classified as ________ caries risk

high

The office-applied fluoride varnish concentration is ________ %

2.26

The office-applied acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel concentration is ________ % and gel is recommended while foam is ________

1.23 / not recommended

Blood fluoride levels following fluoride varnish application are comparable to those after brushing with fluoride toothpaste and considerably ________ than those reported for APF gels

lower

A ________ (prophylaxis/special prep) is not needed prior to fluoride application in the dental office

prophylaxis (tooth cleaning) is NOT needed

Fluoride mouth rinses prevented ________ % of caries in a Cochrane review of 36 studies and both daily and weekly rinses are effective

26

Fluoride tablets (systemic fluoride) are ________ indicated as most fluoride effect is post-eruption and tablets increase fluorosis risk

not

The use of systemic fluorides cannot be justified based on current understanding of the fluoride ________ of action

mechanism

Primary prevention targets the ________ continuum stage of disease using fluoride / sealants / diet / oral hygiene / and antimicrobials

health/subclinical

Secondary prevention focuses on ________ existing lesions using fluoride and other non-operative approaches

arresting

Tertiary prevention focuses on ________ function by replacing teeth with FPD / RPD / or implants

replacing (restoring)