Is Fluoride Important for Your Teeth?

An oral care routine is important to keep our teeth and gums healthy. It includes brushing and flossing, but there’s something we often miss out on, it’s to use fluoride. Consuming fluoridated food and water, and using fluoridated oral hygiene products can maintain your healthy smile. 

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is one of the most abundant minerals found on earth. It occurs naturally in human teeth and bones. It is also found in freshwater, seawater, soils, rocks, plants, and even in some foods. Some medicines and dental care products also contain fluoride. 

Fluoride is one of several minerals that make up the outer layer of the enamel of your teeth. It is the enamel that makes your teeth strong and protects them from cavities and decay.

How Does Fluoride Help Your Teeth?

When fluoride comes in contact with your teeth, it is absorbed into the enamel and repairs the enamel, making your teeth strong. Although there are several benefits to fluoride, excessive use of it can be toxic. 

To know how fluoride benefits your teeth, it’s important to understand tooth decay. When you consume too much sugary and starchy food and beverages, it forms a coating over your teeth and remains there for a long time. The bacteria in your mouth will start feeding on this and they produce an acid that damages your enamel. 

Benefits of fluoride include:

Strengthens Developing Teeth

Fluoride strengthens the developing teeth of children. Drinking fluoridated water can make their teeth’s enamel stronger and more resistant to the acids produced by the bacteria. 

Antibacterial Protection

Fluoride has antibacterial properties that prevent your teeth from decaying. This property protects your teeth from harmful bacteria and plaque buildups. It resists bacteria from forming acids and damaging the enamel. 

Remineralizes Teeth Enamel

Demineralization can cause white spots and tooth decay. It makes your hard tooth enamel become weak. Fluoride helps in remineralization, i.e, it restores important minerals in the tooth enamel. So, it strengthens your teeth and prevents cavities. 

Prevents Further Decay

Fluoride not only helps in remineralization but also stops further demineralization and decalcification that leads to decay. It strengthens the outer surface of your teeth which prevents the decay from getting deep. 

Simpli Smiles offers the best possible dental treatment to resolve your dental problems. For inquiries and appointments, call us at (516) 336-4902 or (516) 756-0111, or visit our offices at 400 S Oyster Bay Rd #105, Hicksville, NY 11801 or 297 Main Street Farmingdale, Farmingdale, NY 11735.