Have you ever wondered why your dentist asks you to rinse with fluoride during your checkup? This dental application is designed to give your teeth a healthy boost. In fact, fluoride plays a key role in oral care and gives your teeth the protection it needs to fight off decay and cavities. To find out why dentists use fluoride to help protect your teeth, here are some of the reasons why it’s still preferred today.
Prevents Tooth Decay
Fluoride has the power to make your teeth more resistant to tooth decay. And if you already have decay forming, the use of fluoride can help to reverse the existing effects by encouraging remineralization. It’s also through this remineralization process that fluoride helps counteract the effects of demineralization that causes damage to our enamel and an increase in cavities.
Makes Your Teeth Strong
The reason why fluoride is so highly regarded is that it’s a mineral that makes our teeth stronger. Its effects help to develop our teeth and keep them strong and healthy. Even when we are babies, the fluoride we take in from our food starts to work on building the foundation for our teeth. And as our teeth begin to grow, it’s what makes our tooth enamel strong.
Forms A Protective Barrier
When you brush with a fluoride-based toothpaste, it begins to form a barrier on your teeth. The benefit of this protective barrier is that it has the ability to work long after you brush to keep away bacteria that causes cavities.
Provides Benefits For Those At Risk
There are a number of people with specific oral conditions that are more at risk of developing tooth decay and can therefore benefit from additional fluoride treatments. This includes those with gum disease, dry mouth known as xerostomia, those with a history of frequent cavities and people who have crowns, bridges, or braces.
Is Safe And Effective
Contrary to popular belief, fluoride is safe and effective. There is no scientific evidence that points to health conditions when regularly used. Fluoridated toothpaste and water has also been proven safe for children. However, if taken in relatively large doses, Fluoride can become dangerous. So it’s important to teach your children not to ingest large amounts of toothpaste when brushing their teeth.
At Rockcliffe Dental, our dentists believe in the importance of using fluoride for healthy teeth. If you would like to go over any concerns or have any questions about the fluoride treatments we use, we would be more than happy to discuss those with you.
- Learn more about general dentistry in Ottawa