Most likely, you’ve seen or heard about fluoride in your toothpaste or mouthwash. Yet you may not know exactly what fluoride is, how it helps keep your teeth healthy and strong, and how your general dentist at Supreme Dentistry offers fluoride treatment as a preventative measure for fighting cavities and prevent tooth decay.
What Is Fluoride?
A naturally-occurring mineral, fluoride is found in your bones and teeth. Fluoride inhibits bacterial acid production on the tooth, stops enamel demineralization, and enhances enamel repair. However, as you eat and drink, the amount of fluoride in your system lessens. Thus, fluoride like calcium is added to many products to help remineralize one’s teeth.
Fluoride treatments give an extra layer of protection to healthy teeth in adults and children. For those who have cavities or weakened enamel, fluoride can strengthen and restore teeth. It’s also a good procedure to have as an adult due to gum recession. This is when, as we age, portions of our teeth are exposed as our gums pull back. With less enamel, these areas are more susceptible to cavities and tooth decay. Also, when individuals have had restorative work done like a crown or bridge, fluoride treatment helps to strengthen teeth making the restorative or cosmetic work last longer. Overall, however, fluoride treatments are an excellent way for adults or children to prevent cavities or other dental issues.
Benefits of Fluoride Treatment
Our teeth are constantly going through a demineralization and remineralization process. Demineralization occurs when the bacteria in our mouths grow due to carbohydrates (sugars and starches) from what we eat. As bacteria increases, it produces acid that wears away at our teeth’s enamel. With a weakened surface, a tooth is softer not only more likely to decay or develop a cavity but to break or chip.
There are natural minerals in our saliva from what we eat and drink, and this is how our teeth remineralize. Remineralization restores the enamel, thus strengthening our teeth. However, this process can be slow and easily overwhelmed by demineralization, especially when we don’t brush or floss regularly or get frequent teeth cleanings.
Fluoride increases the remineralization process allowing our bodies to reabsorb the minerals we need like calcium and phosphate to have healthy teeth. Fluoride makes teeth less vulnerable to bacteria and plaque build-up. Also, it slows the development of cavities and, in some cases, reverses the development of them.
Discover More of Our General Dental Services at Supreme Dentistry
At Supreme Dentistry, our experts will help you support your oral health. They will combine the latest techniques and tools to keep your smile as beautiful and healthy as possible. Our Houston, Texas dentist’s office offers a range of general, family, and cosmetic dental services to our patients. A few of our services include:
- Teeth cleanings: Biannual teeth cleanings make sure that your teeth are healthy and that they look as nice as possible. They can also ensure that your gums are healthy and not at risk for periodontal disease.
- Veneers: If you don’t like the appearance or shape of your teeth, dental veneers are a good choice for you. These thin wafers lie on top of your natural teeth and improve the look of your teeth.
- Teeth whitening: Our teeth lose the pearly white glow due to staining from coffee and tea. With teeth whitening, we give you back the sparkling appearance you’ve lost.
- Dental fillings: If you have cavities, leaving them open can be dangerous for your health. With dental fillings, we can clean out the infection and fill the tooth to ensure that it does not return.
If you need dental treatments or emergency dental services in Houston, Texas, contact Supreme Dentistry today at 844.966.2333.
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