An essential way of help prevent tooth decay is including fluoride in your diet. Fluoride is a mineral element that is naturally occurring and present in nearly all food and water supplies in the U.S. This element can help fortify teeth, working to prevent cavities and even helping to reverse early signs of tooth decay.
There are two common forms of fluoride – topical and systemic. Topical fluoride is most commonly found in toothpastes and mouth rinses, while systemic fluoride is most commonly found in foods and tap water we drink, though this can be boosted in children and adults with fluoride drops, tablets or other supplements.
Fluoride is very important to our overall dental health, and even as adults, dentists generally recommend the use of fluoride. During your visit, your dentist may recommend a topical fluoride treatment, especially for children with developing teeth. Let’s take a look at the full list of benefits for fluoride.
Helps Combat Wear from Gum Disease
Fluoride offers a great benefit in preventing your teeth from the damage of gum disease. While brushing your teeth twice or more per day is extremely important in helping to clean your teeth and gums, consistent use of fluoride can help strengthen your teeth and make them more resistant to the bacteria that can erode your teeth and tooth roots.
Helps Strengthen Weak Teeth
If you wear braces or have worn them before, they can cause concerns where the device comes into contact with the tooth. Over time, this can strain and even wear away some of the tooth’s enamel, which is critical to keeping teeth strong and durable. Fluoride can help to naturally strengthen enamel over time and can help to fortify teeth from acid erosion from sugars and bacteria in the mouth.
Helps Combat Cavities
Fluoride will not remove a cavity, bit can benefit in helping make teeth more resistant to wear from bacteria, acids and sugars in the mouth. Both before and after a cavity filling, fluoride helps to make teeth more resistant to decay, and if you are someone who gets semi-annual cavities, you should speak with your dentist and see if fluoride treatments might be a good option for you.
Fluoride treatments are an essential part of keeping teeth strong at any age, and the team at Genesee Dental can help proper oral hygiene, and can with professional topical fluoride treatments during your regular visit. Discuss fluoride with your dentist during your next cleaning and find out more. To schedule your next visit, call the dental professionals at Genesee Dental at 585-343-1113 today or request your next appointment online now.