Fluoride

At Aurora Hills Dental, we focus on the importance of preventive dental care for maintaining healthy teeth and gums for life.

In addition to scheduling regular dental cleanings and examinations and taking good care of your teeth at home, receiving regular fluoride treatments from the dentist can go a long way to help you maintain healthy teeth, reverse tooth decay, and prevent cavities and even more serious oral infections from developing. 

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a type of mineral and, along with calcium, it is an integral component in the molecular structure of your teeth and tooth enamel. 

How Does Fluoride Protect Your Teeth?

Fluoride helps strengthen your teeth and restore the mineral structure of your tooth enamel when it becomes weakened as a result of the natural tooth decay process. 

Tooth decay occurs when acids inside the mouth (either from bacteria or acidic foods and drinks) break down the mineral structure of your tooth enamel. Left unaddressed, this decay eventually leads to dental caries (cavities) and painful symptoms like tooth sensitivity. Untreated tooth decay can even compromise the entire structure of your tooth. 

Each time you eat or drink something containing sugar or acids, your teeth are exposed to the acid that breaks down the tooth enamel. While eating and after finishing a meal, your salivary glands produce saliva, which contains minerals like fluoride and calcium. As the saliva washes over your teeth, it helps rinse away acid-producing bacteria while also remineralizing your tooth enamel. 

Common Fluoride Sources

In addition to having fluoride present in your saliva from ingested sources like city water or supplements, fluoride is also commonly found in most dental care products like toothpaste and mouthwash. 

When To Get a Fluoride Treatment

Depending on your dental health and lifestyle, we might recommend a professional fluoride treatment if you have tooth decay, cavities, receding gums, or tooth sensitivity that could indicate an exposed layer of dentin. 

We might also simply recommend adding professional fluoride treatments to your preventive dentistry routine to further strengthen your teeth against tooth decay. 

What To Expect When Getting a Professional Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride treatments at the dentist come in several forms including gels with trays, foams, and varnishes. Each one is quick and easy to apply, although the process varies slightly. We can help you determine which type of professional fluoride treatment best fits your lifestyle and meets your preventive dental care needs. 

Is It Possible To Have Too Much Fluoride?

While there’s no risk associated with topical fluoride applications, children who still have permanent teeth developing below the gumline can ingest too much fluoride. If this occurs, it can create tooth discoloration (darker spots) that won’t be visible until they lose their baby teeth and their permanent teeth erupt. 

When teaching your children how to brush their teeth, be sure they understand that they should not swallow their toothpaste. Additionally, we welcome you to talk with Dr. Zalesky about whether a dietary supplement containing fluoride is right for your child before adding one to their nutritional regimen. 

Fluoride Treatments and Preventive Dentistry at Aurora Hills Dental

At Aurora Hills Dental, we provide our patients a comprehensive list of preventive dentistry treatments, including professional fluoride applications, designed to help prevent dental problems from occurring while helping you maintain your good oral and general health. 

To learn more about professional fluoride treatments, we welcome you to contact our office today.