Many dentists, especially pediatric dentists, offer fluoride treatments in their office. These treatments contain a much higher level of fluoride and are applied directly to the teeth in the form of a gel, foam or varnish. Varnishes are generally painted right on the teeth, while foams are placed in a mouth guard for one to four minutes. Fluoride supplements are also available in liquid or tablet form with a prescription from your dentist or doctor. We use fluoride treatments for patients who are at an increased risk of tooth decay, including those with:.
If you thought fluoride was a synthetic chemical additive to many oral care products, you are not alone. Actually, fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is found throughout the Earth's crust and widely distributed in nature. Some foods and water supplies contain fluoride as well. Fluoride is often added to community drinking water supplies that do not already have it at sufficient levels to help strengthen teeth and reduce tooth decay.
The effectiveness of fluoride in fighting cavities was discovered , in the s, when researchers found that children who grew up drinking naturally fluoridated water had less tooth decay than people living in areas without fluoridated water.
Studies since then have repeatedly shown that when fluoride is added to a community's water supply, tooth decay decreases. The American Dental Association, the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association, among many other organizations, have endorsed the use of fluoride in water supplies because of its effect on tooth decay. Fluoride works during the demineralization and remineralization processes that naturally occur in your mouth.
The demineralization process is started by the bacteria in the plaque on your teeth. The bacteria feeds on sugar and other carbohydrates in your mouth and produces acidic saliva that weakens tooth enamel. Fluoride helps control and protect against the damage caused by the demineralization process, keeping teeth resilient to its negative effects.
Other times, when your saliva is less acidic, fluoride helps by replenishing the calcium and phosphate ions that make your teeth harder and more protected. This process is called remineralization. Too much loss of minerals without enough replacement leads to tooth decay. Fluoride helps teeth in two ways. When children eat or drink fluoride in small doses, it enters the bloodstream and becomes part of their developing permanent teeth.
Additionally, fluoride becomes part of the saliva and helps strengthen teeth from the outside, so acids are less able to damage tooth enamel. This process keeps your teeth strong while also helping to prevent cavities and tooth sensitivity. Because it's so reactive in its elemental form, fluorine easily forms compounds. This means that fluoride is a natural ingredient when used in fluoride toothpaste.
Some examples of fluoride compounds include calcium fluoride, sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, and stannous fluoride sometimes called tin fluoride. An ion is a positively- or negatively-charged atom that helps elements combine with one another. When fluorine, which is negatively charged, meets a positively-charged ion like sodium, cavity fighters are born. When these fluoride compounds are in your mouth, they can actually make your teeth stronger and prevent cavities.
They can even reverse early tooth decay. So how does fluoride fight cavities? Tooth enamel is the outer covering of your teeth. Let's find out. Fluoride is a natural element found in the earth's crust as well as in water and air. Decades ago, scientists discovered that kids who naturally had more fluoride in their drinking water had fewer cavities. In the mids, communities started to put more fluoride in their water supplies to protect people against tooth decay.
Fluoride helps because, when teeth are growing, it mixes with tooth enamel — that hard coating on your teeth.
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