Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is a naturalmineral that builds strong teeth and prevents cavities. It’s been an essential oral health treatment fordecades. Fluoride supports healthy tooth enamel and fights the bacteria that harm teeth and gums. Tooth enamel is the outer protective layer of each tooth.

Fluoride is especially helpful if you’re at high risk of developing dental caries, or cavities. Cavities occur when bacteria build up on teeth and gums and form a sticky layer of plaque. Plaque produces an acid that erodes teeth and gum tissue. If the plaque breaks down the enamel layer, bacteria can infect and harm the nerves and blood at the core of the tooth.

How can Fluoride treatment help?

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Every day, minerals are added to and lost from a tooth’s enamel layer through two processes, demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are lost(demineralization) from a tooth’s enamel layer when acids — formed from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth — attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate are redeposited (remineralization) to the enamel layer from the foods and waters consumed. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel layer leads to tooth decay.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. It also reverses early decay. In children under 6 years of age, fluoride becomes incorporated into the development of permanent teeth, making it difficult for acids to demineralize the teeth. Fluoride also helps speed remineralization as well as disrupts acid production in already erupted teeth of both children and adults.

How much fluoride do you need?

If you’re at high risk for cavities, your dentist may also prescribe a special fluoride rinse or gel to use regularly at home.

The following can increase your risk of cavities:

Excessive use of medication
Eating disorder
Poor oral hygiene
Lack of professional dental care
Dry mouth, or decreased
Weak enamel
Habit counselling in which the doctors help to keep the habits of kids in control
Correction of Crooked and misaligned teeth
Treatment of tooth activities
Treatment of dental injuries

Common sources of dietary fluoride include:

Tea
Water
Food cooked in water
Fish eaten with their bones
Infant formula

Guidelines for working with Children

Parents/guardians are always welcome in the room
Comfort is always our concern
Parent /guardian consent and guidance are vital, before any procedure

Benefits of fluoride and fluoride treatments

It helps the body better use minerals, such as calcium and phosphate. The teeth reabsorb these minerals to repair weak tooth enamel.

It joins into the tooth structure when teeth are developing to strengthen the enamel of the teeth, making them less vulnerable to bacteria and cavities for life.
It slows or even reverses the development of cavities by harming bacteria that cause cavities.

When taken together, these benefits may help to:

Reduce the risk of cavities
Slow the growth of cavities
Delay the need for expensive dental work
Prolong the life of baby teeth
Reduce the amount of time and money a person has to spend at the dentist

By preventing cavities and slowing the growth of bacteria, fluoride treatment may also:

Prevent gum disease
Reduce tooth pain
Prevent the premature loss of teeth

Fluoride treatment procedure

Dentists provide professional fluoride treatments in the form of a highly concentrated rinse, foam, gel, or varnish. The treatment may be applied with a swab, brush, tray, or mouthwash.

These treatments have much more fluoride than what’s in your water or toothpaste. They only take a few minutes to apply. You may be asked to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after the treatment so the fluoride can fully absorb.