Er selvudført tandbørstning uden brug af fluorid effektiv som cariesforebyggende foranstaltning?

English summary Is self-performed oral hygiene without fluoride enough to prevent caries? Nor Tannlegeforen Tid. 2025; 135: 30-4. Professional and self-applied fluorides are included in the WHO list of essential medicines and twice daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste is a cornerstone in the prevention and management of dental caries. For various reasons, there are concerns about adverse health effects from excessive fluoride exposure during pregnancy and infancy, such as dental fluorosis and neurotoxicity. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the evidence of efficacy for fluoride-free oral hygiene procedures. We searched three electronic databases for relevant systematic reviews and included six papers of which three had a low or moderate risk of bias. The systematic reviews contained in total 28 primary studies on fluoride toothpaste vs. placebo or no intervention, and all studies were in favor of the fluoride toothpaste for caries prevention. The certainty of evidence for interdental cleaning as an adjunct to toothbrushing was very low. Based on the available systematic reviews, we are very confident that self-performed toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste is more effective than placebo or no intervention. However, this does not imply a lack of effect and dental professionals need to be aware of fluoride-free alternatives for those individuals that decline the use of fluoride-containing oral hygiene products.