About this resource:
Source: The Cochrane Collaborative
Last Reviewed: July 2015
Workgroups: Oral Health Workgroup
In this Cochrane systemic review, the Cochrane Collaborative found that fluoride gel can reduce tooth decay in children and adolescents. The review included trials that compared fluoride gel with a placebo or no treatment for children (ages 2 to 15 years). Researchers found that after 1 to 4 years, fluoride gel can reduce tooth decay in both permanent and baby teeth. They found little information about unwanted or harmful effects from accidental swallowing of fluoride gel, which suggests more research is needed to study these effects.
Objectives related to this resource (2)
Little or no detectable change
Suggested Citation
Marinho VCC, Worthington HV, Walsh T, Chong L-Y. (2015). Fluoride gels for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015 (6). DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002280.pub2
