About 61% of surveyed dentists often recommend that patients use of an over-the-counter fluoride mouth rinse, and teenagers were most-often cited as an age group to receive the recommendation from dentists.
Those key findings were from a 2021 ADA Vendor Showcase survey, conducted on behalf of ACT, to learn more about dentist preferences relating to fluoride use and homecare recommendations. The email survey, conducted in early 2021, was sent to 131,000 dental care professionals in the United States, netting 1,367 responses. About 1,324 of the respondents were dentists.
When asked if you routinely recommend the use of an over-the-counter mouth rinse to patients, the majority of respondents report they do. Responses included:
- Yes, often: 61%
- Yes, sometimes: 25%
- Yes, but not very often: 9%
- No: 5%
For the small percentage of respondents who do not routinely recommend an OTC fluoride mouth rinse, the reasons were because the practice offers in-office fluoride treatments or it has not been a focus of a homecare regimen. Only two respondents from this group say that patients do not see the benefits to oral health, and two other respondents report that patients are expressing resistance to fluoride use.
Interestingly enough, dentists or health care professionals report recommending use of an OTC fluoride mouth rinse to most age groups, and teenagers were most frequently noted by respondents.
When it comes to patient adherence to homecare recommendations by patients, the survey sought to better understand adherence rates and the impact of communication strategies to improve homecare.
