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Fluoride has been the main focus of caries prevention for many years. However, anti fluoride campaigns are gaining momentum in developed countries and this may be echoed by people from developing countries. This cross sectional study assessed parental awareness and knowledge of fluoride in relation to oral health. Questionnaires (n=250) were distributed to parents at the universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia dental clinic. 200 (80%) questionnaires were returned for analysis. The results indicated 91.5% (n=183) respondents were aware and had heard about fluoride. 67.2% of the parents said fluoride strengthen teeth and prevent caries. More than 90% of parents knew that fluoride can be found in toothpastes, but only 35% of them knew public drinking water contains fluoride. 41.5% of respondents were aware that fluoride in high concentration can damage teeth. However, only 27.3% of the parents have heard about fluorosis. Most of the parents obtained information regarding fluoride through the electronic media. These findings indicated that the majority of parents' knew about the role fluoride played in caries prevention and what were the sources of fluoride. However, the vast majority of them were still unaware about the risk of high fluoride concentration to teeth and there is a need to educate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]