Essential reading

We hope you have enjoyed the content so far. If you want to learn more, there is a lot of research and guidance out there. In this article, we want to signpost some more useful resources (as well as the SDF resource in the previous section). Our focus is on practical clinical advice rooted in the evidence. In no particular order here is our top three:

1. Delivering Better Oral Health by Public Health England.
   This is England focused but the evidence behind it is sound. Some of you may be surprised that the lowest concentration of fluoride toothpaste we now recommend in England is 1000ppm. Interestingly this doesn’t seem to have led to an uptick in fluorosis (though most of England doesn’t have fluoridated water).

2. Prevention and management of caries in children by the Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme.
   In some respects a Scottish version of the document above. But with much more detail and focusing on the practicalities of delivering preventive care. Again — firmly based on the best evidence.

3. Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth and Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents
   These two articles, both by Cochrane, are the main preventive interventions we have to use so it’s important that the evidence is strong. Cochrane reviews are the best way of assessing this, so it’s worth looking at these to understand what we know about these two important therapies.