Fluoride is a mineral found in soil, water, and rocks. Fluoride is also in the food you eat and the water you drink. While you might get fluoride naturally in your diet, fluoride mouthwash and
fluoride treatment services provide essential protection for your teeth. A fluoride mouthwash attacks the acid-producing bacteria found in dental plaque.
It also helps restore the natural, healthy minerals of calcium and phosphate to your teeth, strengthening enamel and preventing tooth decay. Both children and adults can enjoy the benefits of fluoride mouthwash. Like non-fluoride products, fluoride mouthwash rinses your mouth, but added benefits of fluoride mouthwash include cleansing and germ-killing properties. It’s important to remember that the benefits of fluoride are only one factor in regular dental care. Brushing and flossing are still necessary to remove built-up plaque.
1. Strengthens Tooth Enamel
Over time, the acids in plaque can erode the minerals in your tooth enamel, especially if you eat many sugary foods. Weakened enamel can lead to cavities, acid attacks, tooth decay, and other dental problems. Fluoride mouthwash helps remineralize or restore lost enamel to your teeth. Fluoride absorbs into your tooth enamel and helps regrow the essential calcium and phosphorus minerals. These minerals can help regenerate weak enamel and keep your teeth healthy.
2. Helps Prevent Tooth Decay
Sodium fluoride, an ingredient in fluoride mouthwash, can prevent tooth decay or even reverse tooth decay once it begins. One study showed that using a sodium fluoride mouthwash led to a 51% decrease in users’ tooth decay and cavities rates.
Mouthwash slows enamel breakdown and speeds up the process of remineralization, one of the benefits of fluoride. When fluoride-treated teeth form new enamel, this enamel is firmer and more acid-resistant, making healthy teeth stronger. Additionally, fluoride prevents the growth of harmful oral bacteria that leads to decay. For people with a high risk of tooth decay, fluoride mouthwash can be an essential part of an oral care routine.
3. Protects Against Cavities
As plaque breaks down your enamel, it leaves teeth exposed to bacteria that can cause cavities. Fortunately, one of the benefits of fluoride mouthwash is its antibacterial properties. Mouthwashes with fluoride work fluoride into the enamel coating on your teeth, preventing bacterial microbes from sticking to the tooth and creating cavities. Fluoride can help reverse the damage by attacking bacteria when a cavity is in its early stages. Fluoride produces a type of tooth enamel called fluorapatite, which is especially bacteria-resistant.
4. Protects Teeth when Gums Recede
When gums recede or pull back from the teeth, more of the tooth’s root surface is exposed. Since exposed roots don’t have the same enamel protection as the rest of the tooth, they’re more susceptible to bacteria. Receding gums can increase the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Regular use of fluoride mouthwash can help prevent oral infections after gum recession, as fluoride protects the root surface and enamel of your teeth.
5. Fluoride Mouthwash Rinses Teeth Affected by Restoration
A benefit of fluoride mouthwash is that it can reach and protect every area of the mouth, even areas that aren’t easy for toothbrushes and dental floss to reach. If you have crowns, bridges, retainers, braces, or other restorative work, it can be easier to miss food particles and bacteria sources when taking care of your teeth. That means certain areas of your mouth may be more vulnerable to decay. Fluoride provides an extra layer of protection for these areas and may be able to stop decay before it starts.
Learn More About the Benefits of Fluoride at Supreme Dentistry
We provide twice-a-year exams with a dental cleaning for each of our patients. General check-ups are essential to healthy teeth and are part of our high standard of care. Our general dentists can catch potential problems like tooth decay early, and we offer preventative fluoride treatment for both adults and children. To learn more about our fluoride treatment and oral healthcare, contact us at
844.966.2333 or online.
