General dental practitioner advice regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste in two areas with a school-based milk fluoridation programme and one without such a programme

Objective To describe the knowledge and practice of general dental practitioners (GDPs) working in Liverpool (where there is no milk fluoridation programme) and St Helens and Knowsley, and the Wirral (where children have fluoridated milk in schools and pre-schools) relating to the advice given for child patients regarding the use of fluoridated toothpaste. Design Data were collected via a postal questionnaire sent to all 329 GDPs working within the three areas. GDPs working in more than one of the areas and those working in specialist orthodontic or oral surgery practices were excluded. Results Two hundred and thirty-four (71%) questionnaires were completed and returned. Only 3% of dentists said that no-one in their practice gave advice on the concentration of fluoride toothpaste to be used. For caries free children under 7 years of age only 64% of GDPs gave advice concerning the concentration of toothpaste which coincided with the available clinical guidelines. Twenty eight per cent of GDPs also contradicted the guidelines by advising children under 7 with high caries to use a low fluoride toothpaste. Although 59% of GDPs in the fluoridated milk areas asked the child whether they had fluoridated milk at school, they did not appear to alter the advice given regarding the use of fluoridated toothpaste. Conclusion The study showed that a significant number of GDPs did not adhere to clinical guidelines relating to the use of fluoride toothpaste when giving advice to their child patients. For evidence-based dentistry to become a reality in this area, ways must be found to disseminate the available guidelines more fully and increase their acceptance and use by practitioners