Senate OKs law letting parents apply fluoride varnish to children under clinical direction

The New York State Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that allows parents and legal guardians to apply fluoride varnish to their child's teeth under the direction of a licensed practitioner.

Sponsor Senator Liz Fernandez told the chamber fluoride varnish is safe, effective and takes less than two minutes to apply. “Tooth decay remains one of the most common and most overlooked health conditions affecting children,” Fernandez said, adding that the measure is meant to reach families facing barriers such as transportation or limited provider availability.

Fernandez thanked the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and public advocate Bridget Walsh for work on the issue. The floor calendar recorded the bill’s passage (ayes 54, nays 2). The calendar reading indicated the measure would take effect immediately on enactment; the sponsor’s floor remarks emphasized prevention and access but did not provide a fiscal note on the record.

The bill was presented as a preventive public‑health step to increase access to early dental care for children who might otherwise miss treatment because of logistical barriers.