Benefits and Protection of Toothpaste Fluoride

 

On the market, there are several different forms of toothpaste used to decrease tartar, avoid cavities, and improve gum health. Around 90 percent of these contain fluoride, a mineral present in fresh and marine water at relatively low concentrations. Water sources can also be fluoridated, depending on where you live, to reduce the risk of cavities, especially in children.

Fluoride toothpaste gives the mineral a higher concentration than any other source, by far. The efficacy of fluoride in the promotion of dental health has long been known.

Despite this, there is ongoing debate as to whether in certain groups, especially children, fluoride may cause damage. It has also been proposed by critics that long-term exposure will weaken the bones and even increase the risk of certain cancers.

Benefits of fluoride

What the researchers found was that fluoride helps avoid cavities in three main ways:

• By bonding to areas of decay and attracting other minerals, such as calcium, to the site of the damage, fluoride' remineralizes' tooth enamel.
• By stimulating the development of fluorapatite, a form of tooth enamel that is highly resistant to acids and bacteria, fluoride avoids further decay.
• Fluoride has antibacterial properties that not only inhibit bacterial growth, but also prevent microbes from sticking to their teeth.

Fluoride does not reverse already developed cavities, but can slow the pace at which they are forming. This is why the majority of dentists prescribe twice-daily brushing. The more frequent fluoride penetration, both in the supply of toothpaste and water, the greater the prevention of cavities.

Types of toothpastes

Generally , high-fluoride toothpaste contains 1.1 percent sodium fluoride and is usually used in adults with significant tooth damage or medical conditions that put them at risk of cavities affected by illness, medications, or cancer treatment, like dentures, orthodontic devices, or dry mouth.

Another fluoride form, known as stannous fluoride, can provide oral protection while reducing hypersensitivity to the tooth. Chemicals such as strontium chloride or potassium nitrate are added by some brands to help reduce tooth sensitivity.

Children's toothpaste has a fluoride concentration of 1,000 ppm and is intended for babies and children aged six and under. Anything below 1,000 ppm is not recommended anymore.

Fluoride free toothpaste

Fluoride-free toothpaste has gained popularity among consumers who, for whatever reason, are either drawn to natural products or who would rather avoid fluoride. Some of them contain baking soda or other components that are thought to have antimicrobial effects.

Proponents of fluoride-free toothpaste argue that your need for fluoride is all but reduced by eliminating sugar and brushing daily to minimize plaque.

In many of the foods we consume, including dairy products, fruits , and vegetables, the problem with this claim is that sugars are present. In addition, routine brushing of your teeth does not change the mechanisms that cause tooth decay, like tooth enamel demineralization, which is largely unnoticed.

While non-fluoride toothpaste can keep your breath fresh and give you a bright, shiny smile, enamel erosion, gingivitis, and calculus build-up are far less likely to be avoided.

Safety

It does have its drawbacks, considering the many advantages of fluoride toothpaste. Fluoride toothpaste can cause damage to developing teeth if used improperly.

The disease, called dental fluorosis, happens when the teeth already come in during childhood. Excessive exposure to fluoride during this time can cause mineral loss in the enamel of the tooth. This may cause the surface of the teeth to have whitish, opaque patches.

Dental fluorosis can lead to irregularities on the surface of the tooth if left unchecked, some of which may carry over into adulthood. Scientists have yet to discover the exact mechanism that causes hypomineralization, despite the strong relation between fluoride and fluoridosis in children.

Fluorosis occurs more often in children six and younger, with the highest risk being those younger two years of age.

Fluoride brushing is just one of the ways dental fluorosis can occur in kids. Popular culprits are swallowing fluoride mouthwash or toothpaste residue, as is drinking water with high fluoride concentrations.

Despite arguments to the contrary, fluoride exposure during pregnancy does not raise the risk in children of dental fluorosis.

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