You might be familiar with the term “fluoride” being on the labels of many of your dental health products. What most people do not know, however, is that fluoride is actually a mineral in your bones and teeth. When it comes to your oral health, this mineral is possibly the most effective agent against tooth decay.
The mineral in your teeth tends to decrease each day due to acids, sugars, and bacteria that can be found in the mouth. This is why it is important to bring fluoride back into the mouth. Fluoride can be found in small amounts in water, soil, plants, rocks, and even air. Stronger potencies of fluoride are added to everyday over-the-counter dental health products such as toothpastes, mouth rinses, and other supplements.
Asides from being an effective agent against tooth decay, fluoride has various other crucial benefits to your oral health. At Alluvial Dental, we always recommend that our patients use over-the-counter tooth pastes and mouth rinses with fluoride in them. The benefits mentioned below are the reasons we encourage our patients to use fluoride.
Resistance to Acid Attacks
There are many acids that form in the mouth from the foods you intake. Flouride has the ability to form an active component of teeth enamel. This makes the teeth resistant to attacks from the acids that enter the mouth through food.
Reverse Early Signs of Decay
There are many types of bacteria that live in your mouth. Some bacteria happen to be good while others can cause serious problems. Tooth decay happens when teeth break down due to the acids made by the bad type of bacteria. Fluoride can help fight and even reverse tooth decay by preventing mineral loss in tooth enamel and reducing the ability of bacteria to make acid.
Speed up Remineralization
Demineralization is the loss of minerals from the tooth enamel. This can result in crumbling of the enamel which can trigger the process of deterioration in the structure of the teeth. Thankfully, it is possible to replenish the loss of these minerals and ensure that this process does not come full circle. Using fluoride will help your teeth remineralize and rebuild tooth enamel.
Stop Decay From Penetrating Further
Flouride is well-known for making the tooth enamel stronger. A strong tooth enamel means less chances of decay penetrating deeper into the tooth. This translates into less cavities, less pain, and less chances of tooth loss over time.
There are different ways to bring fluoride into your body. We always recommend using toothpastes and mouth rinses that contain fluoride and can be bought over-the-counter. Having said that, there are special cases in which we highly encourage the use of professional administered or prescription strength fluoride treatments. Some of those cases are patients who:
- Experience early signs of tooth decay
- Have one or more cavities in a year
- Have sensitive teeth
- Have a gum disease
- Have other recurring issues related to demineralization
We understand that it might be difficult to assess your own situation. We are happy to speak to you about your specific needs with regards to fluoride during your next visit to our clinic. We are here to help you and guide you in having a healthy and happy smile! Don’t hesitate to contact us.
