What is Fluoride, and Why do We Need It?

Fluoride is a mineral substance that occurs naturally in water and soil. Since the early twentieth century, fluoride has been added to community water supplies to help protect people's teeth from dental cavities.
How does Fluoride Work to Prevent Cavities?

Teeth consist of a matrix of minerals, and the minerals in healthy teeth are constantly being depleted and restored. Depletion is caused by oral bacteria that feed on carbohydrates and produce acids that break down tooth enamel. Enamel is constantly being restored as the teeth are exposed to saliva, which is rich in dissolved minerals.

Mineral depletion is minimized with a good diet and oral hygiene routine, and this helps to keep cavities at bay. However, the combined effects of a high-sugar diet and a poor oral hygiene routine promotes cavities, because the rate of mineral depletion becomes much faster. The result of this is cavity formation.

Fluoride protects against cavities because it helps promote mineral restoration, and also because the chemical properties of fluoride mean it can also make tooth enamel more resistant to acid.
Fluoride Dental Products

At Love Family Dental, we recommend that people with certain kinds of oral health problems take extra fluoride to help protect their teeth. People with gum disease, or who have a history of having frequent cavities, and people who have crowns, bridges, or braces, can fall into this category. As well as this, people who have conditions that cause them to produce less saliva may also benefit from fluoride supplementation, because saliva contains substances that help prevent cavities.

As well as being present in toothpaste and community water supplies, fluoride is added to certain kinds of oral health products, for people who need that extra protection.

· Fluoride gels, foams, and varnishes, which are applied to the teeth for several minutes and then rinsed off. These products contain much higher levels of fluoride than toothpastes and mouth washes, so they're only available in your dentist's office.

· High-strength mouth washes that contain more fluoride than over-the-counter mouth washes, can be prescribed by your dentist or doctor.

· Tablet or liquid fluoride supplements can be prescribed by your doctor or dentist.
Using Fluoride Products Safely

When used properly fluoride products are absolutely safe. However, concentrated fluoride products can have toxic effects when taken in very high doses, just as many health products are unsafe when they're overused. Because of this, parents should supervise young children when they brush their teeth, to make sure they're not eating the toothpaste. Products that contain fluoride should be stored out of reach of young hands, too.





In terms of fluoride in water, the level in the public drinking supply is so low that you'd need to consistently drink about ten liters of water a day to see any adverse effects.





To get a fluoride treatment in Astoria or to ask Drs. Howard and Michael Love about other ways to take care of your oral health, call Love Family Dental today.