Fluoride is instrumental in keeping your teeth healthy and strong.
Fluoride is an important mineral that is used to keep your teeth strong. There have been conflicting reports about its effectiveness and whether or not it is safe to use, but experts and dentists everywhere consider fluoride to be safe and effective for human usage. What does it do to your teeth and why is it so important?
Fluoride Remineralizes Your Teeth
Every day, minerals are lost from your teeth’s enamel layer when acids that are formed from the plaque bacteria and sugars in your mouth attack the enamel. Not giving the enamel a chance to be repaired can lead to tooth decay and significant dental problems. Fluoride remineralizes the tooth enamel, repairing the damage caused by plaque and sugars. It makes the teeth more resistant to acid attacks and even reverses early decay. Generally, fluoride can be found in foods, fluoridated water, and in toothpaste and mouthwashes.
Critical at All Ages
It’s very important for infants and children between the ages of 6 months and 16 years to have fluoride incorporated into their dental care. This is the primary time during which permanent teeth come in and the fluoride helps strengthen the developing teeth. However, adults shouldn’t neglect their own teeth and also need to use fluoride. It helps fight tooth decay and other oral health problems. Adults with dry mouth problems need additional fluoride treatments because their lack of saliva makes it harder for acids to be neutralized. Adults with gum disease and a history of cavities need fluoride to help combat these and strengthen the teeth. In addition, adults with crowns can be at risk for additional decay which it can help prevent.
But Isn’t Fluoride Dangerous?
A lot has been made about the dangers of fluoride in high doses. The truth is that the levels of fluoride in everyday products like toothpaste and fluoridated water are so low that it is extremely difficult to reach those toxic levels. You’ll still want to exercise caution with fluoridated products around children – store supplements out of reach, use only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste for your children, and encourage them to spit out toothpaste when brushing is over.
You Can Trust Olney Dental for All of Your Oral Care Needs
For all of your oral care questions and concerns, Olney dental has the expertise and professionalism to get them the answers they need. Olney Dental is ready to supply you with expert service in a professional environment. Schedule an appointment online today! For more information on how we can give your family the best dentist experience available, give us a call at (301) 250-1057 or contact us online. For more dental tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, and Pinterest.