Blog

Fluoride is often called nature’s cavity fighter, and for good reason. This naturally occurring mineral helps prevent tooth decay by making the surface of our teeth (known as tooth enamel) stronger and more resistant to cavities.

How exactly does fluoride work?

Cavities are caused by bacteria that live in our mouths. They feed on leftover food they find there, including sugary foods and drinks. When these bacteria consume sugars, they release acids that attack tooth enamel. Over time, damage to this protective outer layer of our teeth sets the stage for tooth decay.

Fluoride helps fight cavities by repairing the damage these acids can do to our teeth. The repair process is called remineralization.

How fluoride protects a child’s teeth from the very start?

When infants are born, their baby (primary) teeth are already present in their jaws. Even before teeth break through the gums, they benefit from fluoride in the food and drink a child takes in. These early doses of fluoride strengthen the enamel on baby teeth, making them more resistant to cavities. (This is known as a systemic benefit.)

As a child’s primary teeth come in, fluoride helps rebuild any damage that happens when cavity-causing bacteria release acids in the mouth. This is why it’s important for children to use fluoride toothpaste and drink plenty of tap water, which usually contains fluoride.

Using fluoride toothpaste or getting a special fluoride treatment at the dentist’s office puts fluoride on a child’s teeth, creating a topical benefit. Also, the fluoride children get from foods and drinks becomes part of their saliva, bathing their teeth in tiny amounts of fluoride that help keep enamel strong and healthy.

How do we know fluoride is safe and effective?

For more than 70 years, the best scientific evidence has shown that adding fluoride to community water supplies is safe and effective. More than 100 health organizations recognize the cavity-fighting benefits of fluoridated water, including the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American Dental Association.

Studies show that fluoride in water is especially helpful in fighting childhood cavities. In fact, one study revealed that children who live in communities without fluoridated water are three times more likely to end up in the hospital needing dental surgery.

Research also shows that fluoride in local water systems prevents at least 25% of tooth decay in people of all ages. Better dental health helps save money since when more people need treatment for cavities, we all pay in the form of higher insurance premiums and taxes. In fact, the average lifetime cost per person of adding fluoride to local water supplies adds up to less than the cost of a single dental filling.

How much fluoride is added to local water supplies?

Fluoride is a natural element found in groundwater and our oceans. When we add fluoride to drinking water, we are adjusting it to the level that science shows will help prevent tooth decay. (The current recommendation is that communities adjust fluoride levels to 0.7 milligrams per liter of water.)

Adding fluoride to water is very much like adding vitamins and minerals to certain foods and drinks, a step that helps us get the nutrients we need. Examples include the iodine added to salt, vitamin D in milk, or calcium added to orange juice.

Around 75% of the water supplies across the U.S. have added fluoride. Use this online map to find out if your local water is fluoridated.

Making fluoride toothpaste part of your cavity-fighting routine

Drinking water with fluoride is an important step in protecting your teeth. The ADA also recommends brushing with fluoride toothpaste. Here are healthy brushing tips for all ages.

Children under 3 years old: As soon as baby teeth appear, gently brush them with a small, soft-bristled brush and a little fluoride toothpaste (about the size of a grain of rice).

Children aged 3 to 6: Around this time, children begin learning to take care of their own teeth. They should brush twice daily for at least two minutes each time, using a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Brushing in the morning and evening is usually best. Supervise your child to make sure they use the right amount and don’t swallow too much toothpaste. (Here’s a kid-friendly article on why fluoride is a superhero in fighting cavities.)

Older children and teens: As they grow, continue to encourage kids to use fluoride toothpaste in their twice-daily brushing routine. Here are tips for caring for children’s teeth and special advice for teens. Adults: Brush twice daily with fluoride toothpaste for at least two minutes each time, or as directed by your doctor or dentist. Brushing in the morning and evening is usually best.

Can mouthwash with fluoride prevent cavities?

Mouthwash that contains fluoride can help make your teeth more resistant to decay. If you are concerned about your dental health, ask your dentist if mouth rinses with fluoride might be a good idea.

Children under age 6 should not use mouthwash unless it’s been recommended by a dentist. This is because younger children are more likely to swallow mouthwash than spit it out since their swallowing reflexes are not fully developed.

Fluoride treatments your dentist may recommend

Your dentist may apply fluoride directly to your teeth during a dental visit. This in-office treatment is often recommended for children to prevent early cavities. Adults may also have fluoride treatments in the dentist’s office. This topical fluoride may come in a gel, foam, or liquid.

In some cases, dentists recommend fluoride supplements that come in tablets, lozenges, or liquid drops. These prescription-only supplements may be helpful for children aged 6 months to 16 years who live in areas where fluoride is not added to local water supplies.

If you’re concerned that your child or teen isn’t getting enough fluoride to prevent cavities, ask your dentist, pediatrician, or family physician for advice.

Our body is a complex machine. The foods you choose and how often you eat them can affect your general health and the health of your teeth and gums, too. If you consume too many sugar-filled sodas, sweetened fruit drinks or non-nutritious snacks, you could be at risk for tooth decay. Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease, but the good news is that it is entirely preventable.

Tooth decay happens when plaque comes into contact with sugar in the mouth, causing acid to attack the teeth.

Foods that contain sugars of any kind can contribute to tooth decay. To control the amount of sugar you eat, read the nutrition facts and ingredient labels on foods and beverages and choose options that are the lowest in sugar. Common sources of sugar in the diet include soft drinks, candy, cookies and pastries. Your physician or a registered dietitian can also provide suggestions for eating a nutritious diet. If your diet lacks certain nutrients, it may be more difficult for tissues in your mouth to resist infection. This may contribute to gum disease. Severe gum disease is a major cause of tooth loss in adults. Many researchers believe that the disease progresses faster and is potentially more severe in people with poor nutrition.

To learn what foods are best for you, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov, a website from the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The site contains dietary recommendations for children and adults based on their levels of physical activity.

Wise choices

For healthy living and for healthy teeth and gums, think before you eat and drink. It’s not only what you eat but when you eat that can affect your dental health. Eat a balanced diet and limit between-meal snacks. If you are on a special diet, keep your physician’s advice in mind when choosing foods.

For good dental health, keep these tips in mind when choosing your meals and snacks:

• Drink plenty of water.
• Eat a variety of foods from each of the five major food groups, including:
  • whole grains
  • fruits
  • vegetables
  • lean sources of protein such as lean beef, skinless poultry and fish; dry beans, peas and other legumes
  • low-fat and fat-free dairy foods

Limit the number of snacks you eat. If you do snack, choose something that is healthy like fruit or vegetables or a piece of cheese. Foods that are eaten as part of a meal cause less harm to teeth than eating lots of snacks throughout the day, because more saliva is released during a meal. Saliva helps wash foods from the mouth and lessens the effects of acids, which can harm teeth and cause cavities.

For good dental health, always remember to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste that has the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance, floss daily and visit your dentist regularly. With regular dental care, your dentist can help prevent oral problems from occurring in the first place and catch those that do occur in the early stages, while they are easy to treat. 

mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/diet-and-dental-health

With age comes wisdom. Specifically, wisdom teeth.

Your mouth goes through many changes in your lifetime. One major dental milestone that usually takes place between the ages of 17 and 21 is the appearance of your third molars. Historically, these teeth have been called wisdom teeth because they come through at a more mature age.

When they come through correctly, healthy wisdom teeth can help you chew. It’s normal to feel a little discomfort when your wisdom teeth appear, but if you have pain, see your dentist immediately.

Room to Grow?

Wisdom teeth can lead to problems if there isn’t enough space for them to surface or they come through in the wrong position. If your dentist says your wisdom teeth are impacted, he or she means they are trapped in your jaw or under your gums.

As your wisdom teeth make their way through your gums, your dentist will be monitoring your mouth for signs of the following:

• Wisdom teeth that aren’t in the right position can allow food to become trapped. That gives cavity-causing bacteria a place to grow.
• Wisdom teeth that haven’t come in properly, which can make it difficult to floss between the wisdom teeth and the molars next to them.
• Wisdom teeth that have partially come through can give bacteria a place to enter the gums and create a place for infection to occur. This may also lead to pain, swelling and stiffness in your jaw.
• Wisdom teeth that don’t have room to come through are thought by some to crowd or damage neighboring teeth.
• A wisdom tooth that is impacted can form a cyst on or near the impacted tooth. This could damage the roots of nearby teeth or destroy the bone that supports your teeth.

Why You Might Need to Have Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

Every patient is unique, but in general, wisdom teeth may need to be removed when there is evidence of changes in the mouth such as:

• Pain
• Infection
• Cysts
• Tumors
• Damage to neighboring teeth
• Gum disease
• Tooth decay (if it is not possible or desirable to restore the tooth)

Your dentist may also recommend the removal of wisdom teeth as part of treatment for braces or other dental care.

Before making any decisions, your dentist will examine your mouth and take an x-ray. Together, you and your dentist can discuss the best course of treatment.

Keeping Your Wisdom Teeth?

Wisdom teeth that are not removed should continue to be monitored because the potential for developing problems later on still exists. As people age, they are at greater risk for health problems—and that includes potential problems with their wisdom teeth. Be sure to, floss around your wisdom teeth and visit your dentist regularly. Regular dental visits allow your dentist to evaluate your wisdom teeth and your overall dental health.

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/wisdom-teeth

Antibiotics are often prescribed to treat bacterial infections. When it comes to toothaches, however, an antibiotic prescription should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. By understanding antibiotics, you can talk confidently with your dentist about what’s causing you pain and how to fix it.

Understand your symptoms

Talk to your dentist about your symptoms. Your tooth may hurt when eating hot or cold foods or when you’re doing nothing at all. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen may ease pain in and around your tooth. However, only your dentist knows when to treat pain with antibiotics.

Get to the root of it

If you have a fever, an infection may have spread beyond its original source and an antibiotic can help. If you have an infection that hasn’t spread, it might be treatable at the original source. For example, a contained toothache probably won’t require antibiotics, but you might need dental treatment, such as a root canal, depending on the severity of the infection.

Medications are unique

You wouldn’t share your toothbrush, right? Medications are just as personal—what works for one person may not work for the next. The antibiotic prescribed for someone else’s fever may not treat your toothache and can cause unwanted side effects. Trust the professionals; your dentist knows what will work best for you.

Side effects

While antibiotics are meant to treat painful infections, unwanted side effects can happen. Yeast infections, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are a few side effects associated with antibiotics. Tell your dentist if you’re allergic to any medications or if you have side effects that don’t go away.

Keep antibiotics strong

The overuse of antibiotics can cause bacteria to become harder to kill. Misusing antibiotics may similarly contribute to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Taking antibiotics only when they are prescribed to you can help keep you and your antibiotics strong.

Talking with your dentist about symptoms, pain relief methods and proper antibiotic use can help improve your health and the health of those around you.

https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/antibiotics-for-pain-and-swelling