Biomaterial Database

Risks and benefits of fluoride mouthrinsing. 1989

S M Adair

Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Eastman Dental Center, Rochester, N.Y.

Fluoride mouthrinses have been demonstrated in controlled clinical trials to reduce the incidence of dental caries in children by an average of 35%. This practice has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective adjunct to individual and public health preventive dental programs. The risks of fluoride mouthrinse use are primarily related to acute and chronic ingestion of fluoride, and acute ingestion of ethanol. These and other minor risks are easily controlled by adult supervision of mouthrinse use. Claims of allergic reaction or adverse behavioral reaction to food dyes in mouthrinses have not been substantiated. Recently, mouthrinses have been investigated as contributing to the risk of oral cancer, but results of retrospective studies are equivocal, especially in the light of the stronger confounding variables of alcohol consumption and tobacco use. Fluoride mouthrinses remain a safe and effective means of controlling dental decay.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009067	Mouthwashes	Solutions for rinsing the mouth, possessing cleansing, germicidal, or palliative properties. (From Boucher's Clinical Dental Terminology, 4th ed)	Mouth Bath,Mouth Rinse,Mouth Wash,Bath, Mouth,Baths, Mouth,Mouth Baths,Mouth Rinses,Rinse, Mouth,Rinses, Mouth,Wash, Mouth
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D003731	Dental Caries	Localized destruction of the tooth surface initiated by decalcification of the enamel followed by enzymatic lysis of organic structures and leading to cavity formation. If left unchecked, the cavity may penetrate the enamel and dentin and reach the pulp.	Caries, Dental,Carious Lesions,Dental Cavities,Dental Cavity,Dental Decay,Dental White Spots,Carious Dentin,Decay, Dental,Dental White Spot,White Spot, Dental,White Spots, Dental,Carious Dentins,Carious Lesion,Cavities, Dental,Cavity, Dental,Dentin, Carious,Dentins, Carious,Lesion, Carious,Lesions, Carious,Spot, Dental White,Spots, Dental White
D005459	Fluorides	Inorganic salts of hydrofluoric acid, HF, in which the fluorine atom is in the -1 oxidation state. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed) Sodium and stannous salts are commonly used in dentifrices.	Fluoride
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307	Risk Factors	An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.	Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor