Dietary Fluoride Supplements

After the beneficial effects of fluorides in caries prevention were discovered in the 1930s, and that of dietary fluoride supplements in the 1940s, major improvements have occurred in our understanding of the fluoride mode of action and this has resulted in new products and thus, fluoride continues to be the cornerstone for the prevention of progression of dental caries worldwide. The injudicious and arbitrary use of dietary fluoride supplements has caused an increase in the prevalence of dental fluorosis and not just a decrease in the prevalence of dental caries. Also, the use of dietary fluoride supplements are fraught with many disadvantages like high cost, poor compliance, improper use, increased risk for fluorosis and limited daily duration of exposure to teeth. Consequently, the role of supplements as a public health measure is limited, but necessary and irreplaceable. Thus, when trying to maximize the benefit of fluoride in caries prevention and to minimize the risk, caution should be exercised when giving advice on the fluoride containing components of an individual¿s diet or prescribing dietary fluoride supplements.