It has always been known that Fluoride has a direct effect on your teeth but why is that?

It is common knowledge that fluoride is beneficial to the health of your teeth, but maybe you are not aware of why.

Your tooth is made up of 3 different layers:  Enamel, dentin and the pulp. The layer we see is enamel, and is first to be affected by what goes through our oral cavity. It is the hardest organ in our human body and is made up of tightly arranged mineral crystals with small amounts of water and organic material.

In a healthy oral environment,   processes of demineralization and remineralization occur at an equal rate so that when minerals lost are equal to the minerals taken up.

Demineralization occurs due to bacteria and plaque found covering the tooth. These bacteria thrive on sugars and carbs and results in the production of enzymes and acids that begin to eat away at the enamel. Minerals from the saliva such as Fluoride, Phosphate and calcium will deposit leading to the input of the lost minerals from the enamel leading to remineralization.

When the balance of these two processes is disturbed leading to a higher rate of demineralization, dental caries or tooth decay occurs.

Therefore, keeping this in mind, it becomes obvious why fluoride can help strengthen our teeth and help prevent dental decay in the long term.

But where can you find Flouride?

There are many sources, such as:

1. Drinking water
2. Diet
3. Toothpastes & mouthwash
4. Professional application of fluoride at your dentist’s office.

However excessive levels of fluoride may prove to be harmful, therefore ask your dentist for the best sources and levels of fluoride that are good for you.

Toothpaste and mouthwashes will increase the concentration of fluoride but only for several hours which is why you should brush your teeth at least twice a day.

The professional fluoride application at your dentist’s clinic will be applied as a gel or a varnish and has a greater resistance and lasts for a longer period than toothpastes and mouth washes.

When should you start thinking of using fluoridated toothpastes, etc?

The effectiveness of fluoride from food and water decreases over time, so the best time to take fluoride starts from 6 month of age until age 16 . These are the years when fluoride will be absorbed and becomes part of the tooth composition. However, adults can still benefit  from  fluoridated tooth pastes, mouth washes  and professional application of fluoride to increase resistance of their teeth against tooth decay.