Having a proactive, and effective, oral health routine can ensure that your smile is healthy for years to come. One of the best things you can do to increase your oral health is to add a product with fluoride into your dental routine. Fluoride is an element that has proven to be advantageous for various pieces of oral health, and because of that is an ingredient found in types of toothpaste and mouthwash. The team of dentists at Encino Pediatric Dental Group wants to make sure that we provide you with the information that will benefit your dental health, so we’ve provided you with just a few of the benefits of fluoride.
PLAQUE
Tooth enamel is strong, but it can still be affected by the gunk that builds up on your teeth. Plaque on the surface of your teeth has the ability to produce an acid that breaks through your teeth’s enamel and break down the internal structure. When this happens, the acid leaves weak spots that you know as cavities. Fluoride breaks down plaque, minimizing the chances for it to create cavities.
TOOTH DECAY
Tooth decay is as painful as it sounds. It begins on biting surfaces, between your teeth, or on any exposed roots around any fillings you’ve already got. Without treatment, tooth decay can spread into the tooth, ultimately destroying the structure of the tooth and causing an infection. Fluoride strengthens your tooth’s enamel. It creates new, stronger enamel crystals that make it difficult for tooth decay to occur.
Fluoride can be found in toothpastes, mouthwashes and is even added into certain brands of drinking water. Including these types of products can make a big difference in your oral health, especially if you’ve gotten lots of cavities. Schedule an appointment with Encinio Pediatric Dental Group for more oral habit counseling!