| Table 4: Recommended actions for physicians and nurses to prevent or treat dental caries |
| When taking histories, enquire about patients' last dental examination and suggest that those visiting the dentist irregularly make a dental appointment. |
| Examine the teeth for obvious untreated tooth decay and recommend prompt attention to any carious lesions observed. |
| If a patient has rampant caries, recommend consultation with a dentist about treatment with sealants, decreased consumption of sugary snacks, and use of fluoride dentifrices and other sources of fluoride. |
| Recommend to patients that toothbrushing by small children be supervised and that only a small, pea-sized amount of fluoride dentifrice be used. |
| Recommend against the use of baby bottles that contain sweetened liquids, particularly at bedtime. |
| Consult with patient's dentist about the special preventive needs of patients with bulimia or Sjögren's syndrome, receiving radiation therapy directed to the head or neck or chemotherapy and using drugs that reduce salivary flow |
| Recommend fluoridation of the community drinking-water supply if it is fluoride-deficient. |
| Before prescribing fluoride supplements for infants and young children living in communities with fluoride-deficient drinking-water supplies, check the fluoride content of all ingested fluids and pay careful attention to the dosage of fluoride prescribed (see recommended dosages in Table 2). |