We all know how important fluoride treatments are for children. However, did you know that fluoride usage for adults is just as important?

There are 5 clear benefits of fluoride treatments that all ages can benefit from-

1. Protects Your Enamel

One of the most well-known benefits of fluoride treatments is its ability to protect a tooth’s enamel. Drinking liquids that contain high amounts of acid can cause the enamel on your teeth to break down. When the enamel deteriorates, your teeth become much more sensitive to normal activities such as drinking hot, or cold liquids. Drinks containing high amounts of acid include lemonade, tomato juice, grape juice, orange juice, apple juice, and many other fruit juices. Unfortunately, extremely sensitive teeth can cause an unpleasant sensation at any moment. Brushing your teeth with a fluoride toothpaste and receiving fluoride treatments in our office reduces the amount of sensitivity your teeth experience. Fluoride helps protect the teeth and enamel against these acids and the bacteria that cause them. Specifically, fluoride protects the enamel from being broken down, reducing tooth sensitivity

2. Puts Minerals Back In Your Teeth

Acid does more damage to your teeth than simply breaking down the enamel. It also breaks down the structure of your teeth by destroying the minerals that make up your teeth. Minerals, like calcium and phosphorous, are vital to the health of your teeth. When acid breaks down the enamel, it causes your teeth to become weak and damaged. The loss of calcium and phosphorous in your teeth can have dire consequences.

Fluoride reverses the damage by adding those vital minerals back into your teeth. This process, known as remineralization, ultimately helps rebuild damaged teeth. Remineralization is essential to maintaining healthy, strong teeth!

3. Helps Prevent Cavities and Tooth Decay

Bacteria is present in everyone’s mouth. When sugars and starches are consumed, they enable the bacteria to produce an acid which breaks down the enamel. This process is extremely harmful to your teeth and when it’s not combatted with fluoride treatments, the acid begins to decay your teeth. Fluoride is always the best treatment when battling tooth decay or cavities.

When receiving fluoride treatments and using fluoride toothpaste at home, you’re much less likely to experience cavities or tooth decay. It’s important to remember that tooth decay and cavities don’t only affect children, but they are common challenges for adults as well.  With this in mind, you should make it a priority to get fluoride treatments routinely as part of prevention. Fluoride can also be found in community water systems. Drinking this water can be beneficial for all members of the family.

4. Saves You Money Down the Road

The best way to save money in the long run is to stay up to date with your fluoride treatment. There are topical and systemic fluorides.

Topical fluorides are applied directly onto your teeth’s enamel. This can be completed with fluoride toothpaste, mouthwash, and treatments offered within the dental office. We apply a fluoride treatment onto the teeth during all cleanings.

Systemic fluorides are fluorides that are swallowed. This type of treatment can be completed by drinking fluoride water in communities that have a fluoride water system. Systemic fluorides are also provided in the form of dietary fluoride supplements.

5. Provides A Natural Preventative

A final significant benefit of fluoride is that it serves as a natural preventative for your teeth. Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance found in both the oceans and the groundwater. By using water fluoridation, we’re able to adjust the levels of fluoride in our drinking water to the recommended level for preventing tooth decay and cavities.

It’s a natural and effective way to prevent possible damage to our teeth. The next time you visit the dentist, it’s wise to ask about receiving fluoride treatments as a means of prevention for your teeth.

Why You Need Fluoride Treatments for Your Adult Teeth

For all of the reasons children require fluoride treatments, adults need them as well. Even when our adult teeth are healthy and strong, it’s still important to have routine fluoride treatments. Over time, different liquids and solids that we consume build up an acid that ultimately breaks down our teeth, starting with the enamel.  Once the acid penetrates the enamel, it can start to break down crucial minerals needed in our teeth. Fluoride is the best way to ensure strong, healthy teeth and it’s a great way to rebuild the enamel or minerals that may have already been lost.

Ask us at your next visit about Fluoridex toothpaste which we recommend!