3 Main Ways Fluoride Helps Your Teeth
Most experts agree that a daily dose of fluoride is one of the most effective methods for preventing cavities and tooth decay. In fact, research shows that cities with fluoride in their drinking water experience 40% to 70% less tooth decay than those without.
Fluoride restores your teeth through remineralization.
Remineralization is the process in which a tooth restores itself in the early stages of tooth decay. Fluoride found in your saliva adheres to the surface of the tooth and attracts other minerals to the problem area, including calcium.
Fluoride helps to make a tooth more resistant to decay.
When fluoride is present during remineralization, it creates the mineral fluorapatite to restore the tooth, instead of the usual minerals, hydroxyapatite and carbonated hydroxyapatite. Fluorapatite is more resistant to tooth decay caused by acids than the other minerals, so the newly restored tooth can fight off a repeat occurrence of decay.
Fluoride interferes with cavity-causing bacteria.
When you take a bite of food, bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugar found in the food and produce a byproduct of acid, the main culprit in tooth decay. Fluoride slows down the rate at which bacteria can metabolize sugars, resulting in less acid production.
Need some tips & tricks to keep your family’s dental health on track? We’ve got you covered! Join over 3,000 others and receive our monthly newsletter.
Comments (0)