INFLUENCE OF FLUORIDE ON PUBLIC HEALTH AND WORKER’S HEALTH – LITERATURE REVIEW

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that affects a large part of the world's population. Can be prevented by various means and methods, including the use of fluoridated mouthwashes, topical fluoride, fluoridated toothpaste and fluoridation of public water supplies for human consumption. Fluoride has been shown to be a therapeutic agent that modulates dental caries. Frequent contact between patients and small concentrations of fluoride hinders demineralization and activates remineralization, in addition to inhibiting cariogenic microorganisms. The oral health of workers is directly related to the health of the population, since they are part of this context and suffer from the same problems that occur in the environment in which they live. Since workers are the agents who convert work activity into profits for the employer, a detailed and complete vision addressing prevention is extremely important, as this is a way to reduce absenteeism and keep workers in their jobs, achieving better performance of their activities. This bibliographic review aims to analyze fluoride in its various forms and evaluate its anti-cariogenic power for workers, with the aim of preventing cavities and providing well-being, quality of life and greater productivity to them. Based on the data analyzed, it is concluded that fluoride is an effective and inexpensive measure to prevent the appearance of cavities and that due to the large size of Brazil and its socioeconomic difficulties, fluoridated toothpaste associated with assisted brushing, with topical fluoride applications, prove to be the best measures to prevent cavities and absenteeism, consequently improving public health indices. This is one of the most relevant public policies, which is in fact underestimated and which can change the reality of Brazil, reducing high government costs and promoting the quality of life of the population, which suffers from oral problems, which can affect the entire organism, causing a series of other ailments, which should be avoided by adopting preventive measures on a permanent basis.