The topical application of dental varnish containing 10% PVP-I along with 5% NaF can effectively aid in the primary prevention of dental cavities in the deciduous teeth, a study in JDR Clinical and Translational Research elucidated. The study authors investigated if PVP-I and NaF dental varnish was better than only NaF in new dental caries prevention in healthy children aged 49 to 84 months who joined the early childhood schooling.

About 284 of these children were randomized and 273 children were included in the first year and 262 in the second year investigation. Dental varnish containing 10% PVP-I and 5.0% NaF was regarded as the ‘test varnish’ and 5.0% NaF was the ‘comparator’. Both were applied every 3 months in 2 years. Surface-level primary molar caries lesion increase (d_2-4mfs) at 2 years was the primary outcome.

The increase in dental caries lesion for primary molars free of the cavity at baseline was 0.9 surfaces for the test varnish as compared to 1.8 for the comparator varnish at year 1. The increase in dental caries lesion for primary molars free of the cavity at baseline was 2.3 surfaces for the test varnish versus 3.3 for the comparator at year 2. No preventive effect was found in teeth that had a cavity at the starting. Thus, the periodic application of a varnish containing NaF and PVP-I is effective to prevent caries lesions.