Fluoride treatments are an important part of maintaining a happy, healthy smile. At Bright Value Dental, we recommend fluoride treatments to help strengthen and preserve teeth and stave off cavities. Here, we’ll discuss the importance of fluoride for building strong teeth and how fluoride treatments can benefit our patients.
What Is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a natural mineral. While fluoride is added to most public water supplies to help promote strong teeth, fluoride can be found in natural water supplies. Fluoride enters a natural water source through rocks, usually as part of the groundwater process. Fluoride is an essential mineral for building and maintaining strong teeth. On top of this, it is a natural cavity preventer, making it necessary for your overall dental health. Fluoride can be a key part of maintaining a healthy smile when used as directed.
What Are Fluoride Treatments?
Fluoride treatments are topical protectants to help keep your teeth cavity-free. Unlike systematic dispersals of fluoride, such as the amount you receive from a community water supply, fluoride treatments are applied directly to the teeth and provide a layer of protection to your mouth. This treatment helps make teeth more cavity-resistant, leading to healthier teeth down the line. In most cases, fluoride treatments are recommended for children and teens, though your dentist may also recommend them for adult dental patients, should they be prone to dental decay.
Are Fluoride Treatments Safe?
Fluoride treatments are safe and effective at the prescribed doses. A surplus of fluoride is not dangerous to a patient and will only result in a discoloration of the teeth, called fluorosis. This discoloration usually results in white streaks on the teeth, or small pits in the enamel. This means that you do not need to worry about overdosing on fluoride. The amount of fluoride present in toothpaste, water sources, and dental treatment options is ideal to keep the average patient healthy and help formulate strong teeth.
Most patients get enough fluoride from their drinking water, mouthwashes, and toothpaste; however, fluoride supplements may be recommended for children in low-fluoride environments. This is important because it ensures the children have enough fluoride to build strong, cavity-resistant teeth. These children may also be given topical fluoride treatments once they are old enough to promote strong teeth growth and stave off future cavities.
Fluoride treatment is a safe, effective way of reducing cavities and encouraging healthy teeth growth. Fluoride is a naturally occurring solution to dental cavities and an incredibly safe and effective way to reduce your overall dental costs and promote healthy teeth.
If you have questions or concerns about fluoride treatments, would like to make an appointment with our office, or have any other concerns, contact Bright Value Dental at (713) 668-1600. Our friendly, professional staff would happily answer any questions and help you get on the right path for your dental health. We would be happy to help you schedule a fluoride treatment or other dental procedure.
We look forward to hearing from you.