Information You Must Have about Fluoride Treatments

Are you aware water in America contains trace amounts of fluoride as a preventive measure to reduce tooth decay? Fluoridated water reduces tooth decay by about 25 percent, states the centers for disease control and prevention (CDC). Fluoride occurs naturally and is a mineral that helps to build healthy teeth and prevent cavities.

More significant benefits to protect teeth are available from fluoride treatments. If you are at risk of tooth decay, you should consider getting fluoride treatment in Columbia, MO, for the services it offers. However, the treatments may not be appropriate for everyone.

In this blog, we look at the benefits and side effects of fluoride treatments besides treatment recommendations.

What Are Fluoride Treatments?

Dental fluoride treatments are professional procedures offered by the fluoride dentist with higher fluoride concentrations that are applied by the dentist or hygienist to your teeth to improve their health and reduce the risk of cavities. The in-office treatments are in the form of a solution, gel, varnish, or foam.

Some concentrated fluoride varnish treatments are also available for use at home. However, at-home treatments are best recommended by the dentist.

Fluoride treatment for dentists’ teeth is similar to fluoride in toothpaste, except for the higher doses that may offer immediate benefits.

What Are The Benefits of Fluoride Treatments?

Fluoride treatments offer many benefits. Some of them are mentioned below for your understanding:

• Fluoride helps the body to use minerals like calcium and phosphate better. The teeth absorb the minerals to repair weakened tooth enamel.
• Fluoride joins into the tooth structure during the developmental stages to strengthen the enamel and make them less susceptible to bacterial and cavities throughout your life.
• Fluoride can slow or reverse the onset of cavities by inhibiting bacteria that are the primary culprits.

Combined, the benefits mentioned above can help to:

• Reduce and slow the growth and risk of cavities.
• Reduce the need for outrageous dental work.
• Prolong the life of baby teeth.
• Reduce the time and money you have to spend at the dentist’s office.

By preventing the growth of harmful bacteria and inhibiting cavities, fluoride treatments also help to prevent gum disease, premature loss of teeth, and reduce tooth pain.

Fluoride treatments can improve oral health, which the WHO believes is a significant predictor of overall health. Poor oral hygiene causes many other health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Side Effects of Fluoride Treatments

Natural health advocates have expressed concerns about fluoride treatments from dentists at high doses. As usual, they argue fluoride is not safe for children, and fluoridated water is also harmful despite information to the contrary available from all sources.

Fluoridated water and fluoride treatments are incapable of causing widespread harm, although some people may experience side effects, including tooth discoloration known as fluorosis. This condition causes white streaks to appear on the teeth or other discoloration. The reasons for fluorosis are too much fluoride ingested by children or adults during the developmental stages. It is a common problem among children who consume too much fluoride. Therefore, safeguards have been stipulated by the United States Public health service, and the American Academy of pediatric dentistry prevent these side effects.

Recommendations For Fluoride Treatments

The CDC and ADA have both recommended that frequent exposure to tiny amounts of fluoride daily is best to reduce the risk of dental cavities for all ages. People can obtain the fluoride they need by drinking tap water with optimal fluoride levels and brushing their teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste. Adults and children at a higher risk of cavities will find fluoride treatments from dentists beneficial.

Fluoride treatments are safe and effective for most people. Even when people experience any side effects, they are usually minimal compared to fluoride’s benefits. However, swallowing high quantities of fluoride is undoubtedly detrimental and is better not practiced by anyone.

The above in no way means fluoride treatments are safe for people at all times. It would help if people discussed their risk of tooth decay and cavities with the fluoride treatment dentist who can provide appropriate answers to their questions. However, one can safely assume fluoride treatments help prevent cavities and tooth decay in a significant portion of the population.