Chances are, you have heard of fluoride treatment before, but you might not know what it is all about. Yeah, it seems to appear in toothpaste and mouthwash, and everyone seems to make a big deal about it, but why do you actually need fluoride treatment, and what is it at all, anyways? It actually is extremely important for you to look into, as the more you know about fluoride the better an understand you are going to have regarding it.
What is Fluoride Anyways
Fluoride is a mineral that you can find naturally throughout through nature. It appears in food and water and you probably consume a good amount of fluoride throughout the day anyways. During the day, minerals are both lost and added from the enamel in your teeth, known as a process of demineralization and remineralization. When minerals are lost from your tooth's enable when acid, plaque and sugar enter your mouth, it is going to break down the enamel slightly, which causes the demineralization. On the flip side though, minerals that enter your mouth, such as phosphate, calcium and fluoride, it helps strengthen the enamel in your teeth and add the minerals back to the enamel, which is known as remineralization. Over time, if the minerals you lose outweigh the minerals you gain, you are going to develop tooth decay. This is why individuals who consume a large amount of sugar foods eventually develop cavities and tooth problems. Even if they brush their teeth on a regular basis, the sheer level of sugars outweighs the amount of good minerals coming into their mouth.
As fluoride is a protectie mineral for your teeth, it helps improve the resistance of your teeth against acid and sugar attacks, which develop plaque inside of your mouth. This is also why your dentist is going to tell you to use toothpaste with fluoride in it.
Why a Fluoride Treatment
In general, the most important time in your life to receive fluoride and to ensure strong teeth id when you are between the ages of six months and 16 years. This is when your primary teeth start to develop and come in. Of course, fluoride is important at any stage of your life, but the developmental stage is essential in building strong teeth for the long haul. If you are not bringing in enough fluoride into your diet throughout the day, even if you do not eat sugary foods, your teeth can start to deteriorate. Your teeth may naturally deteriorate due to age anyways, so the better your protect your teeth, the better off you are going to be. In order to do this, you need to go through the fluoride treatment, as this drastically increases the level of fluoride you receive.
Fluoride treatment is done in different ways, depending on your condition. Your dentist is likely going to prescribe you a special toothpaste and mouth wash that contains fluoride. They are also going to perform a fluoride treatment in the office as well, although you need to continue this while at home. They might also actually tell you to use tap water instead of bottled water, as bottled water does not contain fluoride, while fluoride is almost always added to the water supply in your neighborhood in order to help out.