|
FLUORIDE
A SHIELD
FOR YOUR TEETH
Nature's
Cavity Fighter
Fluoride
blocks cavities by forming a more acid-resistant surface layer
and can help prevent bleeding gums.
"Fluoride is needed
throughout the lifespan to prevent and control tooth
decay" said CDC director Dr.
Jeffrey Koplan.**
Fluoride containing water,
dental products and varnishes are effective against decay~
Remineralization
is the most important mechanism of action of fluoride#
Fluoride =
Healthy Teeth
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is naturally occurring
element found in rock, soil, air and all vegetation because fluoride is a
naturally abundance substance in the earth's crust. Fluoride is
nature's answer to tooth decay.
The most critical time for fluoride is in the
second to third year of life when tooth enamel is being formed.
Fluoride
helps prevent cavities in these ways:
 |
Fluoride will
make the entire tooth structure more resistant to decay.
Fluoride will combine into the tooth structure to make
enamel more resistant to acid attack. |
|
Fluoride is toxic to
bacteria stops the bacterial from producing acids that
cause tooth decay |
|
Fluoride use can
also encourage remineralization
or replace minerals in the tooth surfaces that have been demineralized
or broken down by bacterially produced acids which can help in repairing early decay
or damage before it causes a
cavity. |
|
Fluoride aids
development of enamel on "baby" teeth before
they erupt. |
|
Fluoride reduces
enamel solubility. |
Thus,
"Fluoride
offers additional help when present at the tooth surface by
providing its own ions, which inhibit demineralization (enamel
breakdown) and promotes remineralization (reinforces
structure of the outside surface of the tooth), as opposed to rebuilding
the tooth structure itself"*.
This process of incorporating
minerals such as calcium into the teeth can also help decrease tooth sensitivity.
Duraphat- Fluoride Varnish
Fluoride News Updates
Fluoride
and Water
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Fluoridated
water:
|
Protects against cavities
|
|
Protect against root caries, a condition often
found in adults
|
|
Help remineralize early small decay
|
Over 140 studies done by 20 different countries proved that:
"Fluoridated water is
the single most effective public health measure to
prevent tooth decay and improve oral health for a lifetime "
as stated by AGD
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White spots could
mean early tooth decay; reverse with fluoride treatments
Newest Recommendation on
Fluoride Use from ADA:
Evidence Based Fluoride Applications
Newest information
Summary of Evidence Based Fluoride Recommendations-ADA
Recommendations for fluoride
use:
Children
|
Use less than a pea size amount of toothpaste
with children under two and be careful they do not swallow it.
|
|
Don't
let them lick the toothpaste tube or "eat" toothpaste.
Reserve the toothpaste made for children until they are two or old enough to
obey these guidelines
|
|
Weight or dental age is a better determining
factor for fluoride dosage than age in years
|
|
Infants past
the age of 12 months should not be fed with formula
made with fluoridated water. |
| Fluoride treatments may begin after the age
of three. Topical fluoride gel works on the outer surface of a tooth
and is NOT taken in internally so a child can not overdose on fluoride
|
| Fluoride rinses can be used after the age of
six, especially in children who are drinking soft drinks and/or wearing
braces. They can cut decay by about 30% if used daily
|
|
For the best result of a fluoridated
toothpaste, the toothpaste should be on the teeth for four minutes
|
| Chewable vitamins with fluoride are
recommended for children who: have cavities; live in areas with unfluoridated
drinking water and live in families that are prone to tooth decay or
periodontal disease. The supplement for these cases is 1
mg/day. Again no supplement should be given until you have
consulted with your dentist. |
|
Chewing these fluoride tablets puts fluoride directly in
the grooves of the teeth where most decay is likely to happen
|
| We use fluoride polishing paste with all
our patients when we clean their teeth.
|
| We apply fluoride gel to all children after
they have had their teeth polished
|
We use fluoride in a foam form
instead of gel because the "advantage of foam use is that less
foam is required for adequate coverage of the teeth. This
may reduce fluoride exposure and retention by the
patient."^
| Age |
Weights in lbs |
Adequate Intake mg/day |
Tolerable Upper Intake
mg/day |
| Infants 0-6 months |
16 |
0.01 |
0.7 |
| 6-12 months |
20 |
0.5 |
0.9 |
| 1-3 years |
29 |
0.7 |
1.3 |
| 4-8 years |
48 |
1.0 |
2.0 |
| 9-13 |
88 |
2.0 |
10 |
| Boys 14-18 |
142 |
3.0 |
10 |
| Girls 14-18 |
125 |
3.0 |
10 |
| Males 19 yrs & older |
166 |
4.0 |
10 |
| Females 19yrs & older |
133 |
3.0 |
10 |
ADA Fluoridation Fats May 20, 2002
WARNING: call 911 when the mgs of
fluoride ingested is twice the weight of your child! Up
To Top
Fluoride is for Adults:
|
For adults with
high level of decay or
dry
mouth, fluoride rinses are recommended twice a day for four minutes.
Do not swallow the rinse.
|
| American adults have an
average of 23 decayed and filled tooth surfaces. For rampant decay rinse with fluoride when
ever you can, do not swallow the rinse. Try using a professionally
high strength fluoride toothpaste and use it in the evening before bed, do
not rinse or eat for 30 minutes after its use |
| Fluoridated rinses may
decrease bleeding
problems if used along with good oral
hygiene.
|
| 40-50% of total adult fillings
are done to replace existing fillings. Use fluoride
to help prevent further decay. |
|
Root Caries- According to
the National Institute of Health
and National Institute of Dental
Research Studies, 7% of 18 year
olds and as high as 21% of 35
year olds have ALREADY suffered
from one or more teeth
experiencing Root Caries. |
| For adults who
drink unfluoridated
water. |
| Adults
wearing braces.
|
| Dietary fluoride supplements will give
teeth a low, prolonged exposure to fluoride to help supplement your fluoride
intake, especially in areas where fluoride is not added to the water.
|
| Before bed, rub toothpaste containing
fluoride along the gum line and leave it to soak into the
gum line while sleeping to ensure teeth get the fluoride
they need. |
Surgeon General's report
states: More than one-third (100 million) people has no access to community
water fluoridation!
Fluoride
Protection for You
-
Sensitivity:
This condition affects 25% of most adults. Gum
recession and natural wear can cause sensitivity.
Fluoride gels can help strengthen these area to insulate
them from hot and cold.
-
Root surface caries:
Fluoride can help protect this area from acid- producing
bacteria.
-
Cavity control:
Fluoride helps to remineralize enamel. Fluoride blocks
cavities by forming a more acid-resistant surface
layer.
-
Implant
maintenance: Fluoride blocks plaque formulation an helps
protect your valuable implant from premature failure.
-
Gum
disease: Fluoride can be used to inhibit bleeding
and sustain treatment.
-
Denture
and partials: can irritate gum tissue and fluoride use
can help.
-
Braces:
Fluoride can help control decalcification of teeth that
can occur when wearing braces.
-
Dry
Mouth: Medication can our health condition can cause
this condition. Fluoride can help protect against the
rapid decay that can occur with this condition.
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Fluoride Toothpaste
Significantly Reduces Childhood Cavities
A review of 50 years of clinical
trails (74 studies involving more than 42,000 children under the
age of 16) firmly establishes that in children brushing
with toothpaste containing fluoride results in 24% less cavities
than does brushing with non fluoridated toothpaste.
This study conferred:
|
greater cavity reduction
by brushing twice a day or more with fluorided toothpaste
than only once a day. |
|
brushing with toothpaste containing
a higher concentration of fluoride is associated with
greater reduction in cavities. |
|
fluorided toothpaste with
give greater benefits in those with higher
levels of decayed, missing and filled teeth. |
|
brushing with fluoride
toothpaste provides additional reduction of cavities even if
children live in areas with fluoridated water |
Fluoride Toothpaste Significantly
Reduces Childhood Cavities, pg 44, Dentistry Today 2/03
Dental
Fluorosis Classification
| Classification |
Description of Enamel |
| Normal |
Smooth, glossy, pale creamy white
translucent surface |
| Questionable |
A few white flecks or white spots |
| Very Mild |
Small opaque, paper white areas covering
less than 25% of the tooth surface |
| Mild |
Opaque white areas covering less than 50%
of tooth surface |
| Moderate |
All teeth surfaces affected; marked wear
on biting surfaces; brown stain may be present |
| Severe |
All tooth surfaces affected; discrete or
confluent pitting; brown stain present |
ADA Fluoridation Facts May 20,
2002
Summary of
Anti Caries Efficacy of Low Fluoride Toothpaste:
The review found that 250-ppm fluoride
toothpastes were not as effective as 1,000-ppm fluoride
toothpastes at preventing dental caries in the permanent
dentition. 6/06
CDC
recommendations cite fluoride safety, efficacy Aug 2001.
American Dietetic Association position paper on: The
Impact of Fluoride on Dental Health
Excellent
article on the pros and
cons of Fluoride: Impurifying
our precious bodily
fluids
The National Institute of Dental
Research: The
Story of Fluoridation
Up To Top
~We have NO financial interest in this
company.
~Getting
Back
to
Basics,
Dr
Muzyka
P.P.A.D.
Vol.
15,
No.6
pg
450
*Contemporary
Esthetics
and
Restorative
Practice,
Dr.
Ronald
Goldstein,
July
2001
pg
8.
** ADA News September 2001 New
Fluoride Guidelines, CDC recommendations. pg 18.
^ [Whitford GM, et al
Enamel uptake and patient exposure to fluoride comparison of APF
gel and foam. Pediatric Dentistry 1995; 17(3):199-203]
#Caries Preventive Knowledge and
Practices Among Dental Hygienists. Abstract of national study, J
Dent Res, 77:123 (JL Forrest, AM Horowitz, Y Shmuely, 1997)
Picture courtesy of Dentalcare.
February 06, 2008
Duraphat -
Fluoride
Varnish
Fluoride News Updates
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