Fight Cavities with Topical Fluoride Applications
Did you know fluoride can help you keep your mouth healthy? According to dental professionals, fluoride can be an important preventative tool in our ability to maintain a strong and healthy mouth, and it can even prevent cavities! At La Mesa Hills Dentistry, we encourage our patients to take advantage of fluoride as a proven preventative treatment. We believe in the cavity-fighting power of fluoride, and topical fluoride applications at your regular dental check-ups can help you keep your mouth healthy and strong. Read on to learn more about the cavity-fighting power of fluoride!
Fluoride has been called nature’s cavity fighter, and its benefits have been shown in both children and adults. A powerful, naturally-occurring mineral, fluoride helps prevent cavities in two important ways: strengthening and remineralization. First, fluoride strengthens the enamel (the hard outer surface) of the tooth, making it better able to resist the acid that causes decay in the first place. Second, fluoride rebuilds tooth enamel where it has been weakened, even reversing early signs of tooth decay. Beneficial effects such as these have been shown in fully erupted teeth, teeth with fillings or decay, and even in teeth before they break through the gums. Fluoride, taken either systemically or topically, can provide our mouths with an important tool to prevent cavities.
There are a few common ways we obtain the benefits of fluoride, and drinking water with fluoride is one of the most common. Fluoride occurs naturally in most all water sources, and for the past 70 years, fluoride has also been added to public water supplies. Today, almost 75 percent of the U.S. population is served by fluoridated community water systems. Studies have shown this water fluoridation has helped prevent tooth decay by at least 25% in children and adults. Fluoridation of community water has been so effective at helping to prevent tooth decay, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention proclaimed community water fluoridation one of ten great public health achievements of the 20th century.
When fluoride is taken in from fluoridated water, or from foods or dietary supplements, it produces a “systemic” benefit. Systemic intake of fluoride is an important way to help protect teeth from decay, but topical fluoride applications are another important way you can take advantage of fluoride’s benefits. When you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste, use mouthwash with fluoride, and receive fluoride applications at your dental visits, you receive a “topical” benefit to your teeth. Topical fluoride can have a significant impact, and since it was introduced in 1960, fluoridated toothpaste has made a notable difference in the number of cavities experienced in the United States. Brushing your teeth twice a day with an ADA-approved toothpaste containing fluoride can greatly benefit the overall health of your teeth and help prevent decay.
Another important way you can strengthen your teeth with fluoride is through professional fluoride applications. At La Mesa Hills Dentistry, our dental hygienists recommend and treat many of our patients with topical fluoride varnish applications. During your routine office visit, our dental team can apply a fluoride varnish directly to your teeth, providing you with the topical benefit of fluoride. These topical fluoride applications can strengthen your teeth’s enamel, discourage cavities, and help your teeth resist decay.
At La Mesa Hills Dentistry in La Mesa Hills, California, we are here to be your partner in your oral health. We provide general dentistry services, including fluoride treatments. Through routine cleanings, and preventative maintenance such as topical fluoride applications, we can help you keep your mouth healthy. We treat our patients with dignity, kindness, and respect, and we understand that every patient has unique individual needs. Call us at 619-469-2902 to make an appointment at LMHD, or click here to book an appointment today!