Fluoride Treatment
What Is Fluoride?
Fluoride therapy is the delivery of fluoride, topically or systemically, to protect the teeth from cavities. Fluoride strengthens tooth surfaces that have been weakened by plaque bacteria. The purpose of tooth brushing is twofold: to mechanically remove plaque, and also to apply fluoride to the tooth surface, promoting re-mineralization.
Even without fluoride, teeth experience alternating increases and decreases in mineral content, depending upon how acidic the mouth is and the concentration of other substances in the mouth, such as phosphate and calcium. Fluoride enhances and modifies the restoration of the mineral content of the teeth, and counteracts the breakdown of the teeth from lactic acid-producing bacteria.
Fluoride Uses
At Machen Family Dentistry, our doctors are trained in proper fluoride use for decay prevention at every age and for every situation. In our office, we follow the guidelines set up by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists. For our local patients where city water is not fluoridated to optimum levels, we recommend systemic fluoride treatments for children through small, chewable vitamins. For adults with high cavity rates, we recommend prescription fluoride toothpaste. For adults with low cavity levels, we recommend over-the-counter fluoride mouthwash. Patients whose water comes through private wells may have varying levels of naturally occurring fluoride. For these patients, we recommend that you perform a well water fluoride test. This can be done by taking a liter of water from your outside faucet. This sample can then be taken to Teton Microbiology, which will notify you when your water test has been completed. Give us a call to let us know what your fluoride levels are and we will add this record to your chart to help create a custom treatment plan for you.
We also offer and recommend Silver Diamine Fluoride treatment in specific situations. The American Dental Association explains, “Silver diamine fluoride, or SDF, is a topical antimicrobial and remineralizing agent. When used at 38%, it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a Class II medical device to treat tooth sensitivity. SDF may also be used as a non-restorative treatment to arrest carious lesions on primary and permanent teeth, which the ADA determined in its 2018 systematic review and subsequent evidence-based clinical recommendations for the arrest or reversal of non-cavitated and cavitated dental caries using nonrestorative treatments in children and adults.” (https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2020-archive/october/ada-supports-silver-diamine-fluoride-for-caries-management). If you are interested in this treatment option or would like more information, feel free to speak to your dentist or hygienist about options that would be best for you. Through fluoride treatments in the proper amounts, teeth are made stronger than natural enamel. In the event of public water fluoridation, additional systemic fluoride therapies are not recommended if the concentration is at the right level. In our office, we also offer topical fluoride therapies, where fluoride is applied directly to the surface of the teeth by means of a fluoride varnish.