Many people are aware that fluoride can be an essential tool to aid a child’s dental development. The mineral facilitates the growth of strong, decay-resistant permanent teeth, reducing your child’s risk of developing cavities in his/her adult teeth after they erupt. Did you know, however, that fluoride can also help keep your teeth strong and healthy even after they’ve all erupted? Your Fresno dentists, Drs. Alex and Claudia Denes, explain the continuing benefits of fluoride treatments, and how to incorporate the mineral into your hygiene routine for improved daily smile protection.
The Gift that Keeps On Giving
Fluoride protects teeth in the same manner that it helps them develop. Your enamel, which surrounds and protects your teeth, is the strongest and most mineralized substance your body produces. When healthy, enamel is comprised of super-resilient strands of mineral crystals, mainly calcium and phosphate. Typically, enamel remains strong by utilizing minerals from your teeth (over 90% of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones and teeth). When you eat and drink, however, oral bacteria consume the sugar and starches, converting them into acid that depletes minerals from your teeth, weakening your tooth enamel in the process. As a mineral, fluoride bonds to your tooth enamel’s surface much like calcium and phosphate, strengthening the protective layer in the face of acid attacks and reducing the risk of tooth decay.
Where to Find Fluoride
Through the course of a child’s dental care, we often perform fluoride treatments in our Fresno dentist’s office as part of a thorough preventive care routine. If your teeth are especially at risk for decay, then fluoride treatments can serve your smile, too. Also, most toothpaste brands contain fluoride, and municipal water supplies are treated with trace amounts of the mineral (though you may want to use a filter for your tap water in some parts).
Strong, Healthy Smiles with Your Fresno Dentists
To learn more about protecting your teeth with fluoride treatments, or to seek treatment for tooth decay that has already developed, schedule a consultation with your Fresno dentists by calling Fresno Dental Studio at (559) 297-1800. Located in the 93720 area, we proudly serve patients from Fresno, Clovis, Mendota, Orange Cove, Reedley, Selma, and the surrounding areas.