While visiting your dentist in Edmonton regularly is important to ensure good oral health, you can’t forget to practice good oral hygiene at home. And one of the most important parts of having good oral hygiene is flossing and brushing your teeth diligently. Now, considering how often you brush your teeth, it’s a little surprising how little you may actually know about the entire process.

This is most evident in people’s lack of general knowledge on fluoride. While you’ve probably heard of this term before, how much do you actually know about it? If you know very little about fluoride or if you want to know more about it in general, then we’ve got just the thing for you. Here’s everything you need to know about fluoride and how it protects and improves oral health! 

What Is Fluoride?

Many people make the false assumption that fluoride is a synthetic chemical that’s added to oral care products. But this just isn’t the case because it is actually a naturally occurring mineral that is found throughout the earth’s crust. In fact, some water and food items contain fluoride as well. This mineral is sometimes even added to water supplies, as it can help strengthen teeth and reduce the occurrence of tooth decay. 

For the most part, fluoride is in just about every oral health product that’s out on the market today. Whether it is toothpaste or mouth rinses, it’s not difficult to find products with fluoride that you can use to preserve your oral health. In fact, such supplements are also available for people with fluoride deficiencies. 

Is Fluoride Safe?

Given how prevalent it is, it’s surprising that many still question if fluoride is safe. To put any rumours to rest, do know that the mineral is safe. On top of that, it also does wonders when it comes to preserving good oral health, so much so that the American Dental Association and the World Health Organization have endorsed the use of fluoride in water supplies. 

With that being said, it’s important to mention that its overuse can still lead to dental fluorosis. People affected by this may have white spots or lines on their teeth. Some cases have even reported having brown or gray discoloration on the enamel of their teeth. Now, this normally only happens to children as they tend to swallow too much toothpaste when they’re brushing their teeth.

What Are the Benefits of Fluoride?

If you want to understand more about this, let’s first talk about tooth decay. When bacteria in your mouth break down sugar and carbs, they produce acids that chip away at the minerals in the teeth. This is what causes your teeth to be weak and makes them vulnerable to cavities.

What fluoride does is that it remineralizes your tooth enamel, preventing cavities and even reversing the early stages of tooth decay. The mineral in question can also prevent the growth of harmful oral bacteria, making it invaluable in maintaining good oral health at home!

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has helped shed some light on fluoride. Remember that fluoride is one of the most vital components of oral care. It’s best to inform yourself of its uses so that you can utilize it better and preserve good oral health!

If you’re looking for a place that offers general dentistry and dental cleanings in Edmonton, Edmonton Smiles has got you covered. You will surely be in good hands, as we specialize in general dentistry and even cosmetic dentistry. Contact us today to book an appointment!

Posted in Dental News & Advice