General: Not for systemic treatment. DO NOT SWALLOW. Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility: No carcinogenesis was found in mice or female rats treated with fluoride at doses ranging from 4.1 to 9.1 mg/kg of body weight. Equivocal evidence of carcinogenesis was reported in male rats treated with 2.5 and 4.1 mg/kg of body weight. In another study, no carcinogenesis was observed in rats treated with fluoride up to 11.3 mg/kg of body weight. Epidemiological data provide no credible evidence for an association between fluoride, either naturally occurring or added to drinking water, and risk of human cancer. Fluoride ion is not mutagenic in standard bacterial systems but has been associated with chromosome aberrations in cultured human and rodent cells at doses much higher than expected human exposures. Some in vivo studies report chromosome damage in rodents while other studies using similar protocols report negative results. Potential adverse reproductive effects of fluoride exposure in humans has not been adequately evaluated. Adverse effects on reproduction were reported for rats, mice, fox, and cattle exposed to 100 ppm or greater concentrations of fluoride in their diet or drinking water. Other studies conducted in rats demonstrated that lower concentrations of fluoride (5 mg/kg of body weight) did not result in impaired fertility and reproductive capabilities. Pregnancy: Teratogenic Effects: Pregnancy Category B. It has been shown that fluoride crosses the placenta of rats, but only 0.01% of the amount administered is incorporated in fetal tissue. Animal studies (rats, mice, rabbits) have shown that fluoride is not a teratogen. Maternal exposure to 12.2 mg fluoride/kg of body weight (rats) or 13.1 mg/kg of body weight (rabbits) did not affect litter size or fetal weight and did not increase frequency of skeletal or visceral malformations. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. However, epidemiological studies conducted in areas with high levels of naturally fluoridated water showed no increase in birth defects. Heavy exposure to fluoride during in utero development may result in skeletal fluorosis which becomes evident in childhood. Nursing Mothers: It is not known if fluoride is excreted in human milk. However, many drugs are excreted in milk and caution should be exercised when products containing fluoride are administered to a nursing woman. Reduced milk production was reported in farm-raised fox when the animals were fed a diet containing a high concentration of fluoride (98-137 mg/kg of body weight). No adverse effects on parturition, lactation, or offspring were seen in rats administered fluoride up to 5 mg/kg of body weight. Pediatric Use: The use of PreviDent® Rinse as a weekly caries preventive in pediatric patients aged 6 to 16 years is supported by adequate and well-controlled clinical studies in students aged 6 to 12 years.1-3 Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients below the age of 6 years have not been established. Please refer to the CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS sections. Geriatric Use: Of the total number of subjects in clinical studies of 1.1% (w/v) sodium fluoride, 15 percent were 65 and over, while 1 percent were 75 and over. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects, and other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out. This drug is known to be substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of toxic reactions to this drug may be greater in patients with impaired renal function. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection, and it may be useful to monitor renal function.
