Abstract

Knowing the science is one thing. Having the right tools — and knowing exactly how and when to use them — is what separates good intentions from great clinical outcomes. In this second installment of the Little Smiles, Big Science series, Dr. LaRee Johnson takes a practical, product-informed, and age-by-age look at the full toolkit available to dental professionals who are serious about supporting optimal dental development from the first erupting tooth through adolescence.

This webinar goes beyond fluoride varnish applications to explore the complete preventive and supportive armamentarium in modern pediatric dentistry: age-appropriate toothpaste formulations and dosing guidance, the role of dietary counselling and xylitol, pit and fissure sealants and their evidence base, professionally applied remineralizing agents, the clinical use of SDF in an arrest-and-restore strategy, and how to build a caries risk assessment into every recall appointment so that the right tools are deployed for the right patient at the right time. Dr. Johnson will also address one of the most common real-world challenges in the MENA region and beyond — navigating parental hesitancy around fluoride — and provide communication frameworks that work in the operatory.

With her signature mix of clinical precision, humour, and no-nonsense practical wisdom developed over 25 years in full-time private practice, Dr. Johnson will leave you equipped to make every preventive appointment count.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Apply a structured caries risk assessment framework for paediatric patients across different age groups, from infants through adolescents, to guide preventive tool selection.
• Identify evidence-based age-appropriate oral hygiene product recommendations, including toothpaste fluoride concentration and dosing, in alignment with current AAPD and international guidelines.
• Describe the clinical indications, technique, and evidence base for pit and fissure sealants, fluoride varnish, and professionally applied remineralizing agents in the growing dentition.
• Explain the clinical rationale and application protocol for silver diamine fluoride (SDF) as part of an arrest-and-restore strategy in high-caries-risk paediatric patients.
• Develop effective communication strategies to address parental concerns regarding fluoride safety and to motivate preventive compliance at the household level.

Supported by