People are becoming wary of chemicals, especially chemicals that get added to food and water. And in most cases, it’s a good thing to be wary of certain chemical additives; however, one such additive (considered a mineral) that should not be grouped with others is fluoride. Fluoride does get added to most community water supplies (In fact, fluoride has been added to water supplies in the United States for over seventy years). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed the addition of fluoride to water supplies to be one of the ten great health achievements of the twentieth century. But fluoride is added to water supplies and certain fluoride toothpastes because it helps to prevent cavities in both children and adults. It helps the outer surfaces of the teeth (the hard, protective surface is called the enamel) be more resistant to acid attacks from the bacteria that cause tooth decay.
Fluoride is added to toothpaste and into community water supplies because it helps to rebuild weak tooth enamel—tooth enamel gets broken down and weakened for any number of reasons (It especially breaks down naturally as we age)—and the rebuilt enamel resists tooth decay.
Remember that it’s important to brush your teeth twice every day, and for two minutes. You should brush all the surfaces of your teeth, and, for adults and children over the age of six (children who are unable to spit out the toothpaste should not use an adult toothpaste) you should use a fluoride toothpaste with the ADA (American Dental Association) seal of approval on its packaging. A child who is too young to spit out toothpaste should be supervised while he or she brushes. A child who is unable to spit out toothpaste should use no more than a slight amount of toothpaste (Generally speaking, the amount of toothpaste required should be the size of a pea, and children younger than three should use toothpaste in an amount no larger than a grain of rice).
Remember also to schedule your next appointment with your dentist at Premier Smile. A regular dental checkup is an important component to quality oral health.