FLUORIDE USE IN PERIODONTAL THERAPY - A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Although the relationship between fluoride and dental caries has been widely studied and definitively determined, the relationship between f luoride and periodontal health and disease is not clear. Conflicting s tudies in the literature either suggest routine fluoride usage as an a djunct to conventional periodontal therapy or argue against topical fl uoride use on periodontally involved teeth. This review summarizes the literature that addresses the utility of fluoride in patients with pe riodontal disease and aims to advance a rational criterion for the use of fluorides in the management of periodontal diseases.