Dietary fluoride supplements for Tennessee's children: the role of the physician.

1. All children should receive some form of systemic fluoride and appropriate forms of topical fluoride. 2. If a child is not receiving optimally fluoridated water, the physician or dentist should prescribe a dietary fluoride supplement as tablets or drops. 3. The correct dosage must be determined, based on patient age and fluoride content of the patient's drinking water. 4. Special attention is necessary concerning fluoride intake for children breast-feeding or consuming infant formula. 5. To arrive at the correct fluoride dose, these steps should be followed: (A) Whenever you do not have specific knowledge of water fluoride content, have a sample of the main drinking water source (usually home water) analyzed for the fluoride content before prescribing a fluoride supplement. (B) When the fluoride content of the water has been determined, the fluoride level and the child's age should be matched on Table 1 to arrive at the correct supplement dose. 6. The Fluoridation Program of the Tennessee Division of Water Supply can provide lists of communities and schools in Tennessee that are optimally fluoridated.