A critical element of oral health treatment for decades, fluoride works to support healthy tooth enamel (the outer layer of your teeth), removing the bacteria that can harm your teeth and gums. For those patients who are more prone to developing cavities, fluoride is particularly helpful.
Our team at Liberty Square Dental Group, which can be found in Toronto and Scarborough, has shared some valuable information relating to fluoride treatment and its extensive benefits.
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a natural mineral, found in many foods and water, that helps build strong teeth and prevent cavities. Each day, minerals are sacrificed from a tooth’s enamel layer in a process known as demineralization, which occurs when acids, formed due to plaque bacteria and sugars within your mouth, target the enamel.
Why Would I Need a Fluoride Treatment?
There are several reasons why you might require a fluoride treatment, including any of the following:
Root Decay and Tooth Decay Prevention
By making the tooth more resistant to the acid that stems from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth, fluoride is a huge help in your efforts to prevent tooth decay. Also, gum disease (periodontitis) can expose more of your tooth roots to bacteria, leading to the early phase of periodontitis, which is gingivitis.
Promotes Remineralization of Teeth
As already mentioned, fluoride treatment can re-mineralize your teeth, effectively redepositing minerals to the enamel layer. If you are conscientious of the foods and waters that your diet consists of, then you can ensure that remineralization is assisting your teeth.
Prevents the Need for Future Restorative Treatments
Whether it is dentures or implants, fluoride treatment can spare you the hassle of having to undergo a restorative procedure. The presence of crowns, bridges, or braces can even increasingly jeopardize your teeth because decay might develop in an area where the crown combines with the underlying tooth structure. Or it can arise around the brackets that are common in orthodontic appliances.
Keep Fluoride Levels Healthy
In maintaining a healthy volume of fluoride on your teeth, you are doing a massive service to the state of your overall oral health, as it can help prevent decay and potentially harmful concerns.
Assists with Dry Mouth Conditions
Dry mouth (xerostomia) can be the consequence of diseases, specific medications (allergy medications, antianxiety drugs, antihistamines, high blood pressure medicine), and radiation treatment focusing on your head and neck, all of which make you more vulnerable to experiencing tooth decay. A lack of saliva makes it more difficult for food particles to be washed off and the acids to be neutralized.
Types of Fluoride Treatments for Adults in the Greater Toronto Area
Topical Fluoride Treatment
These are your typical sources of fluoride that you’d use, like toothpaste, gels, varnishes, and mouth rinses. Toothpaste with fluoride makes direct contact with dental plaque and demineralized enamel, also enhancing the concentration of fluoride in your saliva. Mouth rinse is a concentrated solution to be utilized daily or weekly and gel formulations can be obtained by prescription.
Systemic Fluoride Treatment
Two systemic methods of fluoride application exist, which are water fluoridation and dietary fluoride supplements. Water fluoridation is the process of adjusting the level of fluoride in water to have it at the recommended measure for ideal dental health. Fluoride supplements, prescribed by our dentist, Dr. Sharon Anbar, or physician, generally contain sodium fluoride as the active ingredient and the dosing will vary for each dental patient.
Fluoride’s Potential Risk Factor
Although fluoride is safe and effective when it is utilized properly, high doses can be an issue because excess fluoride can produce defects in the tooth’s enamel. These defections can be white specks, streaks, or brown discoloration. Such defects are referred to as fluorosis and are experienced when the teeth are still forming, typically in children under six years of age. This is why many toothpastes for children do not include fluoride.
Book Your Next Dental Appointment
Contact Liberty Square Dental Group to learn more about our Toronto dental office or Scarborough dental clinic. We look forward to seeing you soon!
