Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride Treatments

What is fluoride?

Fluoride is one of the elements vital to the body. It prevents tooth decay by strengthening tooth enamel and protecting teeth against acid attacks.

How does fluoride affect the teeth?

• While enamel is forming, it supports the development of healthy, well-mineralized, high-quality enamel.
• It supports the enamel's ability to repair itself.
• It makes tooth enamel less soluble in acids.
• It acts on the decay-causing bacteria that build up on the tooth surface and prevents an acidic environment from forming in the mouth.
• It becomes part of the structure of tooth enamel and creates a surface that is more resistant to decay.
• It reduces the stickiness of the plaque layer that forms on the tooth surface.
• It prevents the breakdown of enamel during acid attacks.
• Fluoride treatments play an important role in preventing tooth decay. They are safe and effective both for preventing decay and for controlling it.

Who should receive fluoride?

1. People undergoing orthodontic treatment,
2. People who have developed demineralized white spots, usually in the gingival third of the tooth,
3. People with high caries activity,
4. Those with early childhood caries,
5. Those with root caries,
6. Cases of xerostomia (dry mouth) caused by long-term medication.
7. Those with initial (early) carious lesions,

How is fluoride applied?

Agents used for topical fluoride application fall into two groups: individual (home) use and professional application.

Individual products include agents containing low concentrations of fluoride, such as toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, toothpicks and chewing gum. They are suitable for daily use and can be used by people themselves.

Individual topical fluoride products:

• Fluoride toothpastes
• Fluoride dental floss
• Combined topical fluorides
• Fluoride mouthwashes

* Fluoride mouthwashes and toothpastes are among the most widely used.

Professional treatments contain high doses of fluoride, are a preventive method, and are applied only by dentists every 3, 6 or 12 months depending on the individual's level of caries activity. They may be needed by children and adults who have one or more smooth-surface cavities or who are at high risk of decay. How often they are applied can vary with the patient's caries risk, and they generally need to be applied at least every six months.

Professional topical fluoride treatments:

• Fluoride solutions
• Fluoride gels
• Fluoride varnishes

* Preventive studies on baby teeth have shown that fluoride gels and varnishes are effective in preventing decay.

** For children, fluoride treatments use gels in a range of flavors (strawberry, orange, mint, chocolate, etc.), and the application is very comfortable, simple and painless.

In addition to fluoride applied by the dentist, good oral care at home must be practiced consistently. It is essential to assess caries risk, refer at-risk children to a specialist dentist and start preventive treatment against decay early.

Fluoride applied by a dentist in adequate amounts and at regular intervals is very safe. However, a World Health Organization report points out that fluoride should be taken in appropriate amounts, as otherwise it can harm health. With the spread of fluoride use, the risk of fluorosis has also become a significant concern. Careless and excessive use of topical agents increases the risk of dental fluorosis (fluorosis is fluoride toxicity: an enamel defect caused by excessive fluoride intake while the teeth are developing, characterized by discoloration in the form of faint spots ranging from white to yellow or brown).