What Does Fluoride Do In Protecting Your Teeth?
The term fluoride has always been attached to a proper oral care routine ever since we learned to brush our teeth. However, the benefits of fluoride are unknown to some patients who joined the bandwagon without learning its true potential. In this post, we’ll discuss the essential role of fluoride in keeping our teeth healthy and several ways to use it everyday for better oral health.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is a mineral found in fluorine which is the 13th most abundant element in Earth’s crust. Fluoride ions found in rocks merge with water resulting in high levels of fluoride in water.
The US government uses water fluoridation programs that increase the levels of fluoride in water to promote community-wide oral health protection. It helps community members prevent cavities and boost oral health through drinking water and as a mouth rinse when we brush our teeth.
What does fluoride do to our teeth?
Fluoride can be applied topically or ingested. Either way, fluoride helps replenish all the minerals lost due to plaque buildup in our teeth. Plaque acids that build up from sugars in our food weaken the mineral of the tooth enamel. Thus, resulting in the formation of small cavities that can lead to tooth decay if left untreated.
Fluoride ingestion through drinking water is beneficial to the formation of new teeth. Fluoride enters the bloodstream and merges with the tooth enamel for better cavity protection. On the other hand, fluoride found in topical products, like fluoride toothpaste, mixes with our saliva to coat the enamel against food acids and sugars.
In general, the benefits of fluoride to our teeth are as follows
- Protects tooth enamel from demineralization
- Breaks down food acids stuck on our teeth
- Removes the harmful acids that wear down the tooth enamel
Ways we can use fluoride daily
Fluoride is our ally against the harsh effects of acids found in foods that we eat and the bacteria that attack our teeth and gums. If you’re planning to incorporate more fluoride into your diet and routine, here are some of the best sources to reap its benefits:
Fluoride-rich products: Several fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash are available in the market that you can use and add to your oral care routine.
- Fluoride water: Too little or too much fluoride in water is bad for your health. The recommended fluoride level by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is 0.07 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water.
- Professional fluoride treatments: Your dentist may recommend a fluoride treatment that contains a more concentrated dose of fluoride to boost your cavity protection. It is usually part of the treatment for patients with periodontal disease.
Learn how to incorporate fluoride into your routine by visiting us
Level up your dental care routine by using more fluoride products and drinking fluoride-rich beverages. If you’re looking for an extra boost for cavity protection, Locust Family Dentistry provides fluoride and periodontal treatments in Locust, NC.
Our dental team is more than happy to provide dental advice about the safety of using fluoride-rich products. Learn more about your oral health and the proper use of fluoride by scheduling an appointment with us.
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