Oral health practitioners should be aware of the following alerts issued by the Ministry of Health.
Antimicrobial prescribing guidance
The Ministry has issued an alert on its webpage that has antimicrobial prescribing guidance with links to regional information.
This page will be updated by the Ministry as new information becomes available.
The antimicrobial prescribing guidance webpage was created to help address antimicrobial stewardship activities in the 2017 New Zealand Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan.
Allergic reactions to fluoride paste
The Ministry has been advised of two cases of allergic reactions after the application of a Casein Phospho Peptide (CPP)-containing fluoride paste by oral health practitioners.
One of the reactions was severe. Both patients were known to have an allergy to milk products but in neither case was the patient/parent consulted about the application of the paste, which is not recommended for use in those with a milk allergy.
Oral health practitioners should be familiar with the components of products they are using and of any precautions advised by the manufacturers. Practitioners have a responsibility to check the patient’s medical history prior to commencing treatment and to confirm that any products or equipment used will not cause life threatening reactions.
Also of note is that the only fluoride varnish product currently approved in New Zealand for the prevention of dental caries is Colgate’s Duraphat Dental Varnish 5% w/v in the 10 mL and 30 mL multidose tubes.
Please refer to the Medsafe website to identify those medicines approved for use in New Zealand.
