Fluoride Treatments
Vancouver, WA
 At Alder Dental, we offer fluoride treatments to improve the health of your teeth. It works by assisting in the remineralization of your enamel making the enamel thicker. The hard outer layer of enamel on our teeth is strong. In fact it is the strongest material in our body, but it does require continuous care to stay healthy.
Fluoride is a natural mineral that has decades of research and scientific data to demonstrate beneficial advantages for the strength of your enamel when taken appropriately. In recent years the use of fluoride has been questioned, and many of our patients have shown unease. We are happy to discuss fluoride, how it is beneficial, and when it is being overused.
Fluoride Treatment Recommendations
We recommend the use of fluoride for all of our younger patients who are still developing their teeth, and all of our patients who have areas of thin enamel or an increased risk of developing caries. We are happy to review and discuss your specific needs during your dental exam. Applying fluoride is a simple, painless step following a dental cleaning. Typically, fluoride is applied through:
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Varnish
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Gel
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Foam
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Rinse
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Prescribed Toothpaste |
All of these applications are fast, simple, and pain free. Following your fluoride treatment, we will ask that you refrain from eating or drinking for about thirty minutes.
Benefits of Fluoride
The benefits of using fluoride were first observed in the early 20th century. People made connections of how some towns had significantly better health with their teeth than others. As they began to question the differences, it was soon discovered that water supplies that had fluoride resulted in much healthier teeth. Those early studies showed between a 40-60% decrease in cavities with those drinking fluoridated water. Over the decades, many towns and cities began adding fluoride to local drinking water and overall oral health improved. People had less cavities, less caries, and stronger teeth. Today, most towns do still have fluoride in the water, and that is beneficial to us for immediate dental health but also in long term dental health. We are living longer and need our teeth to be healthier longer as well.
Having a fluoride treatment done provides the benefit of a controlled bump in fluoride. There are foods that can naturally increase your fluoride. This includes consuming normal levels of fish, and foods that are high in water content.
Concerns About Fluoride
In more recent years, studies have surfaced about the downside of excessive fluoride use. This examination has been beneficial because there have been problems with excessive fluoride use. We promote a controlled, healthy level of fluoride application. Our team is happy to discuss this matter with you during your exam and point out the signs of excessive use, and why we do still think that fluoride in the drinking water is a good idea. Your dental health matters, and we want to help you have and maintain better oral health.
Schedule an Appointment
Please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment at our dental clinic. To learn more, give us Alder Dental a call at (360) 831-0831 today. |
