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Fluoride, which is well known as nature’s cavity fighter, can significantly reduce the risk of tooth decay for every member of your family. Here’s what you should know about this amazing mineral, and how it works to support optimal oral health.
Dental decay is a common oral health problem at every age: About 1 in 4 young children (23%), 1 in 2 school-age kids, (52%), 3 in 5 tweens and teens (57%), and 9 in 10 adults (90%) have had at least one cavity.
Cavity avoidance is one of the primary goals of preventive dental care, and it’s one that Dr. Annie Aboulian and our team at Burbank Dental Studio aim to help every patient achieve.
Our “cavity prevention toolbox” contains a myriad of effective decay-stopping solutions. One of our favorite tools is a quick in-office treatment with fluoride. Here’s how it works.
Enamel fortification and protection
Aptly called “nature’s cavity fighter” by dental professionals, fluoride is an abundant mineral that’s found throughout the environment, including in soil, rock, and water.
When it’s applied to your teeth through fluoridated toothpaste, mouthwash, or a topical in-office treatment, or when it’s consumed via fluoridated tap water, this natural mineral fortifies and protects your enamel to keep your teeth strong and healthy.
When fluoride mixes with your saliva, it:
- Fights off the acid-producing bacteria that form plaque
- Bonds with any weakened areas of enamel it encounters
- Replenishes lost calcium and phosphate in your enamel
- Targets and reverses spots of early tooth decay
- Leaves your teeth stronger and more resistant to decay
Fluoride is so beneficial for your oral health that municipalities across the United States have been adding it to household tap water for decades.
Community water fluoridation — which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) named as one of the 10 great public health interventions of the 20th century — helps reduce tooth decay in children and adults by about 25%.
Benefits of fluoridated toothpaste
You can greatly reduce your cavity risk with regular exposure to small amounts of fluoride, typically attained through drinking fluoridated tap water, brushing with fluoride toothpaste twice a day, and swishing with a mouthwash that contains fluoride. Daily fluoride exposure:
- Builds stronger tooth enamel
- Stops early cavity formation
- Mends areas of early decay
- Reduces oral bacteria growth
- Slows mineral loss from enamel
Simply put, getting a daily dose of fluoride through drinking water and/or toothpaste is a great way to help every member of your family reduce their risk of tooth decay and maintain optimal oral health.
Who needs fluoride treatments?
Anyone with a high risk of tooth decay can benefit from having a fluoride treatment with every dental cleaning and exam. Dr. Annie typically includes this quick treatment at the end of every pediatric cleaning; she may also recommend it for adults who:
- Don’t drink fluoridated water
- Have poor brushing habits
- Have a history of dental decay
With this treatment, Dr. Annie “paints” a small amount of fluoride varnish or gel directly onto each tooth. Weakened areas of enamel absorb some of the fluoride product, while the rest hardens and dries quickly as it interacts with your saliva. The dried fluoride varnish or gel is cleared away the next time you brush your teeth.
Periodic in-office fluoride treatments offer a safe, quick, and effective way to reduce your cavity risk even further. It’s as simple as that.
A word on toddlers and fluoride
Fluoride works to protect teeth both while they’re developing (below the gumline), and after they’ve broken through the gums. If excess fluoride is consumed by a young child when their adult teeth are still below the gumline, those teeth can develop visible changes to their enamel surface, a condition known as dental fluorosis.
Dental fluorosis causes subtle white lines or faint brown spots across the enamel surface. While it can be unsightly, it isn’t harmful, it doesn’t affect teeth that are already above the gumline, and it won’t undermine your child’s oral health.
To avoid fluorosis on developing teeth, we only recommend fluoride toothpaste for children who are old enough to spit it out. Why? Toothpaste contains more fluoride than tap water, and regularly swallowing higher amounts of fluoride is what causes fluorosis.
Your partner in cavity prevention
Cavity prevention is a lifelong endeavor, and Dr. Annie and our team are here to help. Call Burbank Dental Studio in Burbank, California, today, or click online to request an appointment at your convenience.