This review, conducted by Marinho et al., evaluates the effectiveness and safety of fluoride toothpastes in preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. The study included 74 randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials involving 42,300 children, with a focus on caries increment measured by the decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (D(M)FS) index. The primary outcome measure was the prevented fraction (PF), which represents the difference in caries increments between the treatment and control groups expressed as a percentage of the control group's increment. The results showed that fluoride toothpaste significantly reduced caries increment by 24% (95% CI, 21 to 28%; P < 0.0001). This means that 1.6 children need to brush with a fluoride toothpaste to prevent one D(M)FS in populations with a caries increment of 2.6 D(M)FS per year. The effect of fluoride toothpaste was more pronounced in populations with higher baseline caries levels, higher fluoride concentration, higher frequency of use, and supervised brushing. However, it was not influenced by exposure to water fluoridation. The review also noted that there is limited information on the deciduous dentition and potential adverse effects such as fluorosis. The authors conclude that fluoride toothpastes are firmly established as effective and safe interventions for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.This review, conducted by Marinho et al., evaluates the effectiveness and safety of fluoride toothpastes in preventing dental caries in children and adolescents. The study included 74 randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials involving 42,300 children, with a focus on caries increment measured by the decayed, missing, and filled tooth surfaces (D(M)FS) index. The primary outcome measure was the prevented fraction (PF), which represents the difference in caries increments between the treatment and control groups expressed as a percentage of the control group's increment. The results showed that fluoride toothpaste significantly reduced caries increment by 24% (95% CI, 21 to 28%; P < 0.0001). This means that 1.6 children need to brush with a fluoride toothpaste to prevent one D(M)FS in populations with a caries increment of 2.6 D(M)FS per year. The effect of fluoride toothpaste was more pronounced in populations with higher baseline caries levels, higher fluoride concentration, higher frequency of use, and supervised brushing. However, it was not influenced by exposure to water fluoridation. The review also noted that there is limited information on the deciduous dentition and potential adverse effects such as fluorosis. The authors conclude that fluoride toothpastes are firmly established as effective and safe interventions for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents.