My kid’s dentist started offering fluoride varnish at every cleaning, and I was kinda skeptical at first. But honestly, after a year of doing it, she hasn’t had a single cavity (which is a small miracle in our house, given the amount of juice boxes). She says it tastes weird but doesn’t mind it much. Insurance covered it, which was a nice surprise. Anybody else notice fewer cavities or is it just luck?
We started doing the varnish too, mostly because my daughter’s teeth are super crowded and I worry about stuff getting stuck. I get nervous about anything “extra” at the dentist, but so far, no new cavities here either. Does anyone else notice if it helps with sensitivity? My kid says her teeth feel less “zingy” after the varnish, but I can’t tell if that’s just in her head or not...
Funny, my kid actually complained about her teeth feeling “weird” after the varnish—like almost sticky? She didn’t mention less sensitivity, though. I’m not totally sold on the sensitivity thing myself. We do it mainly for the cavity protection, since brushing is a battle most days. I get what you mean about being nervous with extra stuff at the dentist, but so far it hasn’t caused us any issues... just not sure about the zingy claims. Maybe it’s different for everyone?
That sticky feeling is pretty common after varnish—kids notice textures way more than we do. As for sensitivity, it’s hit or miss. I’ve seen some kids say it helps, others not at all. The main benefit really is cavity prevention, especially if brushing’s a struggle.
That sticky feeling is pretty common after varnish—kids notice textures way more than we do.
That sticky texture really threw my daughter off the first time—it was like she couldn’t stop rubbing her tongue on her teeth for hours after. She’s one of those kids who notices every tiny change, so I was bracing myself for some drama, but after a few times she just shrugs it off now. Cavity-wise, we’ve actually had a similar run—she went from a couple of small ones every year to none since starting the varnish. It’s kind of wild because we’re not exactly winning any awards for perfect brushing at home.
I do wonder if it’s partly luck or maybe just better timing with her adult teeth coming in, but either way, I’ll take it. The cost thing surprised me too—our insurance didn’t always cover it before, but now they do, so that made the decision easier. Haven’t noticed much change in sensitivity for her (she never complained before), but honestly, just avoiding the drill has been worth it.