A Family Dentist Recommends Fluoride: Here’s Why

In our family dentist office, we recommend the use of fluoride to help strengthen teeth because of how well it can fight tooth decay.  According to the Center for Disease Control, tooth decay (cavities) are the most common infectious disease among children.  This is significant and leads to days missed from school in addition to many uncomfortable children.  There is speculation that increased tooth decay is due to the amount of sugar children eat, and while we agree, we also look for ways to strengthen teeth.  Fluoride is one of the most effective tools that we have.

While many of our patients are familiar with fluoride, and hopefully brush with it daily, most don’t understand why it is important.  In order to understand, it is important to learn about demineralization.  The enamel on the outside of your teeth is incredibly strong but like any substance, it can wear away.  Due to the food that you eat, brushing aggressively, a lack of oral hygiene, infrequent dental care, old age, etc. teeth can demineralize faster.  As they do, the enamel becomes softer or wears away, leaving the tooth more susceptible to tooth decay.  
The process of demineralization is natural and constantly occurring.  The important thing is to constantly remineralize the teeth in order to strengthen them.  This can be done by improving your diet and eating more lean protein, nuts, dairy products, and green leafy vegetables. While all of this helps on a daily basis, fluoride is the most effective way to remineralize your teeth.  When you drink it in the tap water or have a fluoride treatment in our office, your risk for getting cavities is decreased by 30 percent.  Given that the CDC said tooth decay is the most commonly occurring infectious disease, a reduction of this level is significant.  With that in mind, we recommend that children and teens have a fluoride treatment in our family dentist office at least once a year.

What does remineralization do?

When fluoride is placed onto your teeth, and they are remineralized, the teeth can then fight off tooth decay as it starts.  In many cases, the decay can be stopped, and the damage reversed before it turns into a full-blown cavity.  This is preventative care at its best and ideal for patients of all ages.  This is why we recommend that our adult patients continue to brush with a fluoride toothpaste.  As the decay tries to start, the fluoride in the toothpaste can help to stop it in its tracks.

While the benefits of fluoride are vast, it is still important that you brush and floss twice a day and visit our family dentist office for teeth cleanings. You should have your teeth cleaned professionally twice a year so that we can remove plaque and bacteria that is building up and can lead to cavities or gum disease.  This simple step can help you to remain in good oral health and should be taken, regardless of how old you are.