Fluoride Treatment Protects Children’s Teeth against Cavities by Strengthening Your Tooth Enamel
Your tooth enamel is the outer protective layer on each tooth. When children have healthy tooth enamel, it helps fight the bacteria harmful to the teeth and gums. Brushing and flossing undoubtedly help them maintain excellent dental hygiene. However, the bacteria in the mouth are incredibly resilient and are continuously attacking the enamel to erode it and create cavities.
Brushing and flossing help remove most dental plaque housing the bacteria. Unfortunately, kid’s cannot remove it entirely from the difficult-to-reach areas of your mouth. Leftover bits of plaque are sufficient to begin attacking your tooth enamel by depositing acids on them to create cavities. Therefore, you cannot assume their teeth are adequately protected by the dental hygiene regimen they follow and must seek an additional protective barrier over your teeth to prevent cavities with fluoride varnish treatment.
Why Should Children Get Fluoride Varnish Treatment?
The thought of seeking dental treatment from your dentist shouldn’t scare you because fluoride treatments are readily available with dentists in the form of gel, varnish, and foam the dentists apply using a brush, swab, mouthwash, or tray. The treatment provided by the dentists helps to protect your oral health by preventing cavities for several months.
When you visit the dentist in Phoenix, AZ, 85054, the treatment they provide contains more fluoride than is available in water or toothpaste. The therapy requires merely a few minutes, leaving kid’s free to continue with the regular activities immediately after. However, the dentist instructs them not to eat or drink anything for the next 30 minutes after fluoride treatment to ensure your teeth entirely absorb the fluoride. You merely have to provide the dentist with the child’s entire health history to ensure they select the suitable treatment for you. Financial concerns shouldn’t bother you when getting fluoride treatments because insurance covers children but for adults they cost $ 10-$ 30 or more but help to prevent significant expenditure on dental treatments arising from cavities.
Fluoride Treatment in the 70s
During the 70s, fluoride treatment was designed as a school-based program delivered to all children as an alternative to community water fluoridation. As a result, tooth decay rates had declined since the 90s when fluoride products became widely available. In addition, more targeted strategies helped balance decay reduction even as they minimize dental fluorosis.
The effectiveness and efficiency of school-based fluoride programs rely on the participation of schoolchildren over two or more years. The administration of the school must approve all school-based programs before implementation. When developing an effective program plan strategizing activities to reduce barriers and gain parental consent for students to receive the services was also essential. When using fluoride in school communities, a program planning model is highly recommended to enhance the evaluation of outcomes.
In the United States, fluoride mouth rinse programs are considered unsuitable for children below six years because they tend to swallow rather than spit. Besides, the above fluoride treatments proved beneficial in reducing cavities among children, specifically from lower-income households.
Fluoride is particularly beneficial if you are at a high risk of developing dental cavities. As a natural mineral, fluoride helps build strong teeth by strengthening your enamel and preventing cavities. However, after receiving fluoride varnish treatment in a few minutes and adhering to your dentist’s instructions, you must follow certain habits to ensure your teeth are protected from the therapy and you do not become prone to tooth decay for at least several months.
Fluoride Treatment After-Care
That you have received fluoride treatment from the Phoenix dentist by no means, you are free to begin neglecting your dental hygiene and gorge on foods or beverages detrimental to your dental health. Remember fluoride cannot eliminate tooth decay but is only a barrier against it by creating a durable outer surface to your teeth. The more robust outer surface helps prevent tooth decay from penetrating the more profound parts to create significant trouble.
Your oral health is associated with your overall health and significantly affects other bodily functions. Therefore you must care for your mouth appropriately by brushing twice a day using fluoride toothpaste, flossing at least once, avoiding sugary foods and beverages besides smoking and visiting your dentist for six-monthly exams and cleanings. Neglect or avoid the after-care instructions mentioned above, and you make yourself prone to receiving expensive treatments from your dentist.