Fluoride Treatment in Columbia, MO
Fluoride is well-known for being in almost all toothpaste available on the market. To this day, companies still advertise the presence of fluoride in their toothpaste products. Why is fluoride so important?
We appreciate fluoride and know its value in strengthening teeth. It’s also effective at stopping decay from progressing. It won’t remove any decay or fix it, but it can prevent it from spreading to other parts of a tooth.
Fluoride Benefits and Side Effects
At All American Dental, we perform fluoride treatments all the time for kids and adults. It is applied as varnish with a brush in about 1 minute.
The reason it’s essential to do these treatments in-office is that fluoride isn’t harmless. Too much fluoride can cause pitting and staining of the teeth. While you might find fluoride products on the market, using them without guidance can lead to more harm than good.
As we mentioned earlier, fluoride is known for its ability to strengthen teeth. It’s also great at stopping tooth decay from spreading and causing more damage. It won’t reverse any damage that already happened but can limit it.
Fluoride for Children
Fluoride is arguably the most important mineral for dental health. Studies have shown that when children are exposed to fluoride at an early age, they have great dental health in the long run. That’s why we recommend fluoride treatments for children more than we do for adults.
You will also find that most dental insurance plans cover these treatments for children, but require adults to pay out of pocket for them. We’re not saying that fluoride treatments aren’t crucial for adults, but their benefits are more important for children as children are more vulnerable to dental caries and problems.
Fluoride treatments are done in a single visit in less than thirty minutes. They’re painless and won’t limit how you go about the rest of your day. It might be a good idea to not rinse or drink anything for thirty minutes after the procedure, but that’s it.