Investigating the prevalence of non-fluoride toothpaste use in adults and children using nationally representative data from New Zealand: a cross-sectional study. Br Dent J 2020; 228: 269- 276. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-020-1304-5

In May 1955, dentist and biochemist Joseph C. Mulher wrote 'All of us who are interested in dental health are anxious to find effective anticariogenic agents' and 'I will continue to work hard on the solution of the dental caries problem until a satisfactory product is available.'1 He would later introduce what is regarded as the first commercially available fluoride-containing toothpaste.2 Fast forward sixty-five years, and the consumer market is flooded with an array of fluoride-containing toothpastes and mouthwashes as the importance of this substance in preventing dental decay is now common knowledge among the general public. Overwhelmingly, dental professionals recognise years of robust research confirming fluoride toothpaste use in children and adults as a key strategy in the prevention of caries. Strengthening this position, in 2019 a Cochrane Review3 showed that oral hygiene in the absence of fluoride fails to show a benefit in reducing the incidence of dental caries.

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