Confused About Fluoride? We Have Answers!

Posted August 26, 2020

Preventive dental care for children isn’t much different than your own preventive dental care routine. In addition to good hygiene at home, it also takes sticking to a regular schedule of checkups and cleanings at the dentist’s office. However, when children receive a professional checkup and cleaning, part of the focus is on helping them avoid problems that not only impact their oral health now, but can also interfere with the future growth and development of their oral structures. For example, when your child’s tooth enamel grows weak, strengthening it to prevent tooth decay not only saves the tooth in question, but also the permanent tooth structure that’s meant to take its place.

What is fluoride treatment supposed to do?

Fluoride treatment is a preventive measure that we can sometimes recommend for children who exhibit especially weak tooth enamel. The treatment is a topical application of a specially formulated fluoride solution, which allows the fluoride mineral to directly bond to the weakened strands of minerals that make up your child’s tooth enamel. These strands become weak when oral bacteria attack them with harmful acids, and the weaker enamel is less able to prevent oral bacteria from infecting your child’s tooth. Using fluoride to boost the strength of your child’s tooth enamel can be an important step in preventing tooth decay from developing in the tooth.

Is fluoride treatment harmful to my child’s teeth?

In later years, some children may develop discoloration in one or more teeth if their teeth are overexposed to fluoride in early childhood. The discoloration doesn’t typically indicate a threat to the health and integrity of the tooth, but it can be highly noticeable and impact your child’s overall confidence in their smile. This can largely be avoided by refraining from using over-the-counter products aside from toothpaste and mouthwash that contains fluoride (and has the ADA Seal of Approval on the packaging).

How will I know if fluoride treatment’s a good idea?

You may not know if your child’s teeth can actually benefit from fluoride application until your child’s dentist thoroughly examines their teeth and tooth enamel first. Therefore, it’s important to keep your child on a routine schedule of checkup exams and cleanings – usually, at least one visit every six months. During each exam, we can thoroughly assess the health and integrity of your child’s tooth enamel to determine if they’re at risk of developing a cavity, and whether fluoride treatment can help them prevent it.

Learn if your child can benefit from fluoride treatment

When it’s applied professionally and only when necessary, fluoride treatment can offer a significant advantage in keeping your child’s smile healthy. To learn more about how we can help, schedule an appointment by calling Pediatric Dental Care at Casa Linda in Dallas, TX today at 214-321-4880. We proudly serve patients who live around Casa Linda and all surrounding Dallas communities.