Parent refusal of topical fluoride for their children: clinical strategies and future research priorities to improve evidence-based pediatric dental practice

. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Jul 1.

Published in final edited form as: Dent Clin North Am. 2017 May 4;61(3):607–617. doi: 10.1016/j.cden.2017.03.002

Acknowledge fluoride refusal is a problem.
Assess parents’ knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about fluoride.
Incorporate caries risk into discussions with parents during preventive visits.
Obtain information about why a parent refuses fluoride.
Provide parents a tailored explanation of why topical fluoride is important.
If a parent continues to refuse fluoride, discuss alternative fluoride sources and behavioral strategies.
Maintain open communication.
Some parents will continue to refuse fluoride.
Communicate with local health professionals to reinforce the importance of fluoride.
Engage in public health advocacy.