Fluoride is a good, safe way to protect your teeth. Common sources of fluoride include fluoridated drinking water, toothpaste and mouth rinse, and fluoride treatments when you visit your dentist.
Fluoridated Water
Some water sources have naturally occurring fluoride. To aid in cavity prevention, the level of fluoride in your drinking water should be 0.7 parts fluoride per million parts water. Check into your own water source to see if your town or city monitors and corrects for fluoride levels accordingly.
Bottled water and well water sources may fall short of the fluoride you need, and Dr. Messina may suggest that you use a prescription toothpaste or mouthrinse in this case. To help prevent cavities in children who drink water with low levels of fluoride, some dentists even recommend supplementing with tablets or drops.
But more isn't always better when it comes to fluoride, and it is especially important that children get the right amount — too much fluoride can affect developing teeth, causing them to become discolored. When these teeth come in, they may have white lines or, in more severe cases, brownish pits.
Fluoride Toothpaste and Mouthrinse
One of the easiest ways to keep enamel strong is by caring for your teeth at home. The American Dental Association recommends brushing twice a day for 2 full minutes each time, using a toothpaste that contains fluoride. Because young children may not be able to spit toothpaste out, they should use a smaller amount than older children and adults:
- Children 3 years and younger should use a smear of tooth- paste the size of a grain of rice
- Children older than 3 years and adults should use a drop of toothpaste the size of a pea
For someone who needs extra help preventing cavities, they might try using a mouthrinse that contains fluoride. But because mouthrinse is intended to be spit out after rinsing, children younger than 6 years should not use fluoridated mouthrinse.
And sometimes, a person requires more protection than the toothpastes or mouthrinses available over-the-counter can offer. In these cases, Dr. Messina might prescribe a toothpaste or mouthrinse with higher fluoride levels than what is available in your average drug store or supermarket.
Fluoride in the Dental Office
Dr. Messina and Rachel are passionate about helping you maintain oral and overall health, and they are especially passionate about prevention. A common treatment offered in our office for preventing cavities is the application of fluoride varnish at your routine hygiene visit.
Fluoride varnish can be painted on the teeth to help prevent cavities and is often applied to children’s teeth twice per year. Older adults can develop cavities on the roots of their teeth because their gums may pull away from their teeth, and in these cases Rachel may also may paint the roots with varnish.
The Last Word on Fluoride
Fluoride can be a good way to help fight cavities in patients young and old. If you aren't sure whether you're getting the right amount of fluoride in your drinking water and in your home care products, come visit us! We love being your partner in health and welcome the opportunity to discuss anything you'd like.
We write a blog post every month to keep our patients and our community updated on important dental topics, so be sure to check back here often! And don't forget: we love your questions! We welcome discussion of these blog topics or anything you're curious about. Our patient family is the best part of our practice, and we are grateful for you!