In the driving seat

‘After plenty of practice, it all clicked in to place – just like learning to drive!’

Dental caries is a major concern to us all as dental professionals and is never far from the headlines; you only have to look at social media feeds and news bulletins to see the current debate on sugar. This debate considers not only obesity, but highlights the links to dental caries. The application of fluoride varnish has been identified as a key mechanism in reducing dental caries. There are a number of research papers that discuss fluoride varnish and of course as part of the research, there is evidence to show that dental nurses with ‘additional skills’ are well placed to undertake this clinical activity. That said, dental nurses must ensure they meet the following guidelines and that they: