How to Strengthen Your Teeth Using Fluoride Treatment
Your pearly whites are sturdy and are designed to withstand nearly anything that is thrown at them. However, if they are to last your entire lifetime, they need some boost now and then. One of the things that almost everyone knows is that you need to brush them twice each day and floss so that you can remove food debris that is stuck between your teeth.
Besides brushing and flossing, our Berkeley Heights dentist recommends that you go a step further and seek fluoride treatment. Fluoride therapy can improve your oral health since it is an effective method of keeping dental carries at bay.
Cavities are a severe dental problem both nationally and globally and are among the leading causes of tooth loss. For this reason, regular dental cleanings are important. In the process, you will also undergo fluoride treatment. The professional treatment has a higher concentration of fluoride than the fluoride in water or food. Without further ado, let’s see what fluoride therapy is all about.
Fluoride Treatment 101
There are times when you eat food, it gets stuck in deep fissures, pits, and other hard to reach areas of your mouth. Bacteria then quickly swarm these areas and forms a sticky substance on your teeth’s surface known as plaque.
If plaque isn’t removed by brushing, then the bacteria continues to wreak havoc, and then your enamel starts corroding. Over time, holes (cavities) start forming on your teeth. And just like that, you have tooth decay.
This is where fluoride comes in handy since it is the most effective agent against dental caries. Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral, helps in building your teeth and makes them strong. When introduced to children, it can reverse the early signs of tooth decay.
How Does Fluoride Treatment Work?
Whenever you eat food each day, your teeth lose minerals, a process that is known as demineralization. This happens due to the acid produced by bacteria as they digest sugar, which destroys the enamel.
Fluoride’s main purpose is to redeposit the lost minerals (remineralization) to your tooth’s enamel. This is done in two ways:
- Systemic Fluoride
Developing teeth under the gums and those with erupted teeth get strengthened and nourished through systemic fluoride. This kind of fluoride is typically administered in low concentration forms such as tap water.
When introduced in your oral cavity, it exists in oil reservoirs such as saliva and typically disrupts bacterial activity.
- Topical Fluoride
Topical fluoride is applied to erupted teeth by seeping into the enamel so that your teeth become tooth resistant. Fluoride also keeps your teeth strong by enhancing the uptake of other essential minerals such as calcium and phosphate. Fluoride is incorporated into your teeth and increases your teeth’s resistance to acid.
Topical fluoride can be found in products such as gels, toothpaste, mouthwashes, and home fluoride varnish.
Who Needs Fluoride Treatment?
Children between six months and 16 years should use fluoride regularly. This is essential since their teeth are being formed, and fluoride provides a good foundation.
Besides this, some conditions may increase the risk of you getting dental caries. If you fall in any of the following categories, then fluoride will be beneficial to you:
- You have a poor diet
- Your enamel is weak
- You have an eating disorder
- You have gum disease
- You consume a lot of alcohol
- You are suffering from dry mouth
- You have poor oral hygiene
- You have dental restorations like bridges and fillings
How Much Fluoride Is Right for You?
To get the best results, you need to visit our Berkeley Heights dentist every three, six, or 12 months. This is dependent on your situation. If you are at a higher risk of getting dental cavities, our dentist can prescribe home fluoride varnish or gels that you can regularly use.
Benefits of Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride therapy has the following advantages:
- It reverses the effects of tooth decay when caught early
- It aids your body to properly use calcium and phosphate, thus repairing the damaged and weak enamel.
- When fluoride is introduced in developing teeth, it strengthens the enamel, keeping the teeth free from carries.
You can contact us at the office of James L. Berkeypile DMD if you have any questions or need regular dental care.