How does fluoride help your teeth

There are many ways to get fluoride fighting for you. Fluoride is found in community water systems. Find out if your water supply contains fluoride.

It is also found in some mouth rinses, and your dentist can apply it to your teeth in the dental office. On the home front, be sure to brush your teeth twice a day with a toothpaste that has the ADA Seal.

This means that it has been tested and shown to contain the right amount of fluoride to protect your teeth. Contact us to learn more about fluoride treatments and preventative dentistry at:. Park View Pediatric Dentistry www.

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Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Decades ago, scientists discovered that kids who naturally had more fluoride in their drinking water had fewer cavities. In the mids, communities started to put more fluoride in their water supplies to protect people against tooth decay. Fluoride helps because, when teeth are growing, it mixes with tooth enamel — that hard coating on your teeth.

That prevents tooth decay, or cavities. But fluoride can help even after your teeth are formed. Be sure you only use the supplements as the dentist directs. For a 3-year-old child, a lethal fluoride dose is milligrams — less for infants or younger children. Keep all fluoride products like toothpaste and mouthwash away from kids. Fluoride is beneficial to your teeth. However, when you have too much fluoride, it can lead to two possible health effects — dental fluorosis and skeletal fluorosis.

This condition changes the appearance of your tooth enamel, causing small white spots on your teeth. Dental fluorosis only occurs if you ingested too much fluoride as a young child when your permanent teeth under your gums were still developing.

Dental fluorosis is classified based on severity levels from normal to severe. In severe, rare cases of stains due to too much fluoride, the dentist can remove the stains by bleaching the teeth or can bond resin fillings onto the teeth to cover up the stains.

Around 16 percent of children might have mild dental fluorosis, according to the Canadian Health Measures Survey. Skeletal fluorosis includes joint and bone hardening.

It can occur when you have extremely high fluoride amounts in your bones. It can develop by ingesting extremely high levels of fluoride daily for an extended period. The CDA acknowledges the availability of fluoride from numerous sources and the increased rate of dental fluorosis within communities. Because of this, the CDA offers these recommendations:. You should not skip your regular dental visits and dental treatments since your dentist can treat your teeth better with higher concentrations of fluoride.

Schedule a fluoride treatment twice a year to help keep your teeth in good shape. Many patients can benefit from fluoride treatments. The use of fluoride toothpaste and regular dental visits can provide your teeth with regular protection. If you would like to learn more about fluoride, make an appointment with a Dental Choice dentist.

Visit our Whyte Ave office and learn more. Book an appointment Resources:. Calgary: Edmonton: Do You Need Fluoride? Who Requires Extra Fluoride? Various situations may require extra fluoride protection, including: Taking prescription medications: Many prescription medicines reduce saliva flow, creating a dry mouth.