Fluoride is a natural mineral that builds strong teeth and prevents cavities. It’s been an essential oral health treatment for decades. Fluoride supports healthy tooth enamel and fights the bacteria that harm teeth and gums.
Does fluoride really help your teeth?
Aug 02, 2021 · Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral and happens to be the most effective agent that helps prevent dental caries. Fluoride is also capable of reversing early signs of tooth decay in kids. Fluoride treatment is beneficial to people who are at …
Does Flouride really help?
Sep 01, 2021 · Fluoride is commonly used to strengthen the outer layer of the teeth, known as the enamel. Fluoride has been used for decades as an effective oral health treatment. It fights harmful bacteria that damage the teeth and gums and supports a healthy tooth enamel. It can also reverse early signs of tooth decay.
Who needs fluoride treatments?
Nov 29, 2019 · One systematic review reports that fluoride treatments, such as fluoride varnish, have a substantial effect on preventing cavities in both primary and permanent teeth.
Do adults really need a fluoride treatment?
Jun 09, 2021 · This is why you need regular fluoride treatments to fight against these bacteria. 4. To boost your oral hygiene – sometimes a dentist near you advocates for regular fluoride treatments because they are also appointments for you to get your teeth professionally cleaned. Dental cleanings help you sustain excellent oral hygiene without fear of plaque and tartar …
See more
Aug 23, 2015 · The way you take in fluoride is through foods you eat and water. The way you lose fluoride is through demineralization of your teeh when acids caused by plaque bacteria and sugars in your mouth attack tooth enamel. You can "put fluoride back" (as well as calcium and phosphate) into your tooth’s enamel layer by eating healthy foods and drinking fluoridated water.
How often should you get a fluoride treatment?
What does a fluoride treatment do?
Why do you need fluoride?
How long does fluoride Last teeth?
Is a fluoride treatment worth it?
How much fluoride do you need?
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Adult men 19+ years | 4 mg |
| Adult women 19+ years | 3 mg |
| Pregnant teens and women | 3 mg |
| Breastfeeding teens and women | 3 mg |
Do adults need fluoride supplements?
Is fluoride necessary for adults?
Do adults need fluoride varnish?
Are fluoride treatments harmful?
Why can't you brush your teeth after fluoride?
How does fluoride help teeth?
About Fluoride Treatment
Have you ever asked yourself why tap water has fluoride? For 70 plus years, Americans have been drinking tap water that has fluoride. The whole idea is to strengthen your teeth and ultimately protect them from tooth decay.
How Does Fluoride Treatment Work?
Your tooth each day loses minerals through a process known as demineralization. This occurs due to the acid produced by bacteria. Fluoride’s main purpose is to redeposit the lost minerals. This is known as remineralization.
Do You Need Fluoride Treatment?
Children from six months to 16 years need to use fluoride regularly. This is because their permanent teeth are being formed. Also, you can reap the benefits of fluoride treatment if:
How Many Times Should You Get Fluoride Treatment?
As mentioned before, fluoride is good for your teeth. So, besides getting topical fluoride from toothpaste and mouthwashes, you can get topical fluoride from our office. Our dentist recommends that you come in for fluoride treatment once every three, six, or 12 months. How frequently you get treatment will be dependent on your oral health.
What to Expect During Your Fluoride Treatment
You don’t need to prepare beforehand when you are coming for fluoride treatment. The procedure is painless and is through within a heartbeat. This is what happens:
What happens during a professional fluoride treatment?
Fluoride treatment is quick and easy. The process takes no more than a few minutes and you can go on with your daily activities.
What happens after a professional fluoride treatment?
After treatment, do not eat or drink for at least 30 minutes. This allows your teeth to absorb the fluoride and repair microscopic areas of decay.
What are the benefits of fluoride treatment?
Protecting your smile is important. One of the best ways to keep your teeth and gums healthy is by using products that contain fluoride, such as toothpaste and mouthwashes.
Book a dental consultation
Find a dentist near you to tell you more about getting started on this procedure.
Are there side effects to fluoride?
Like anything, too much fluoride can result in negative side effects and complications. If you’ve been prescribed a fluoride medication or treatment, follow the dosing instructions.
How much does a fluoride treatment cost?
Your oral and dental health are priceless! The good news is that fluoride treatment is relatively inexpensive.
Take charge of your dental health today
Undergoing routine fluoride treatments at the dentist and practicing good dental hygiene at home are the best ways to protect your smile. Prevent cavities and decay by taking care of your teeth.
What is fluoride treatment?
Fluoride treatments are typically professional treatments containing a high concentration of fluoride that a dentist or hygienist will apply to a person’s teeth to improve health and reduce the risk of cavities. These in-office treatments may take the form of a solution, gel, foam, or varnish.
What are the benefits of fluoride?
Fluoride has several benefits for the teeth: 1 It helps the body better use minerals, such as calcium and phosphate. The teeth reabsorb these minerals to repair weak tooth enamel. 2 It joins into the tooth structure when teeth are developing to strengthen the enamel of the teeth, making them less vulnerable to bacteria and cavities for life. 3 It slows or even reverses the development of cavities by harming bacteria that cause cavities.
How does fluoride help with cavities?
By preventing cavities and slowing the growth of bacteria, fluoride treatment may also: 1 prevent gum disease 2 reduce tooth pain 3 prevent the premature loss of teeth
Does fluoride help with tooth decay?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that fluoridated water has reduced tooth decay by about 25 percent.
Is fluoride good for teeth?
Fluoride treatments may offer even more significant benefits to protect teeth. These treatments can be beneficial to people at risk of tooth decay but may not be right for everyone. In this article, we look at the benefits and side effects of fluoride and fluoride treatment, as well as treatment recommendations.
Is fluoride bad for kids?
Side effects of fluoride. Some natural health advocates have expressed concern about fluoride at high doses. They also argue that fluoride is not safe for children, and even that fluoridated water may be dangerous.
Is fluoride safe for children?
Some natural health advocates have expressed concern about fluoride at high doses. They also argue that fluoride is not safe for children, and even that fluoridated water may be dangerous.
Can fluoride be used on teeth?
In addition to fluoride in foods and water, fluoride can be directly applied to the teeth through fluoridated toothpastes and mouth rinses.
How does the body take in fluoride?
Every single day, your body takes in fluoride and loses fluoride. The way you take in fluoride is through foods you eat and water. The way you lose fluoride is through demineralization of your teeh when acids caused by plaque bacteria and sugars in your mouth attack tooth enamel.
Can kids have fluoride?
But we now know that adults can also benefit from added fluoride. Fluoride disrupts acid production in the already erupted teeth of adults, as well as children.
Can you eat after a fluoride varnish?
When you have a fluoride varnish, you can eat or drink immediately afterward. For those in need of an extra fluoride boost, fluoride supplements are available as liquids and tablets, and must be prescribed by your dentist, pediatrician, or family doctor.
How Does Fluoride Work?
Fluoride is a chemical naturally found in soil, rocks, and water. It’s also added to many community water supplies, toothpaste, and mouthwash. When fluoride mixes with your saliva, it interacts with the calcium and phosphate in your tooth enamel to create a powerful cavity-fighting defense! It can even reverse very early tooth decay.
Why Would Adults Need Fluoride?
Kids are more vulnerable to cavities, which is why fluoride treatments are important. However, when that child becomes an adult, it’s not as if the need for fluoride vanishes. While many adults get enough fluoride from toothpaste and their drinking water, they might need more if they’re prone to cavities.
Cavity Prevention in Rochester Hills & St. Clair Shores, MI
Fluoride treatments and other preventive care are part of the dental services we offer at Hillstream Dental. Though most insurance plans don’t cover fluoride treatments for adults, they’re an affordable treatment that helps you avoid other costs down the road.
Does fluoride help with tooth decay?
The results showed that water fluoridation reduces the risk of decay and fillings, as well as of premature loss of primary (baby) teeth, by 35% and loss of permanent (adult) teeth by 26% in children receiving fluoridated water in comparison with children receiving unfluoridated water.
Does fluoride help with caries?
The authors concluded that water fluoridation is effective for reducing dental caries rates in both primary and permanent teeth in children.
Is fluoride a mineral?
Fluoride, a mineral, is naturally present in many foods and available as a dietary supplement. Fluoride is the ionic form of the element fluorine, and it inhibits or reverses the initiation and progression of dental caries (tooth decay) and stimulates new bone formation [ 1 ].
What is the ionic form of fluoride?
Fluoride is the ionic form of the element fluorine, and it inhibits or reverses the initiation and progression of dental caries (tooth decay) and stimulates new bone formation [ 1 ]. Soil, water, plants, and foods contain trace amounts of fluoride.
Where does fluoride come from?
Most of the fluoride that people consume comes from fluoridated water, foods and beverages prepared with fluoridated water, and toothpaste and other dental products containing fluoride [ 2, 3 ]. Approximately 80% or more of orally ingested fluoride is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract [ 1 ]. In adults, about 50% of absorbed fluoride is ...
How much fluoride is retained in the body?
In adults, about 50% of absorbed fluoride is retained, and bones and teeth store about 99% of fluoride in the body [ 1, 3 ]. The other 50% is excreted in urine [ 1 ]. In young children, up to 80% of absorbed fluoride is retained because more is taken up by bones and teeth than in adults [ 1 ].
Is fluoride in tap water?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes fluoride levels in tapwater by county [ 14 ]. Because of differences in amounts of fluoride in groundwater, private water sources (including well water) have variable fluoride concentrations [ 10 ]. Fluoride is not typically added to bottled drinking waters.
Dental Health with Fluoride
Procedure
Cost
How Much Fluoride Is needed?
Benefits
Side Effects
Summary
- Good dental hygiene includes fluoride in your toothpaste and/or drinking water to help prevent tooth decay. If necessary, your dentist may recommend additional dental fluoride treatments. These treatments are a quick and easy way to help ward off tooth decay and gum disease. To keep your teeth healthy, it's important to brush your teeth twice a day...
A Word from Verywell