When it comes to keeping your teeth minty clean, you must have heard of how fluoride toothpaste benefits your pearly whites.

But there are also those who consider it to be a rather hard. It can impact the teeth in the wrong way as well.

It all comes down to knowing when to use it and when not to.

So what is fluoride anyway?

This is basically a natural mineral which you will find in different foods and in the drinking water also.

However how much fluoride there is differs from one thing to another. It is never the same amount for all.

It is actually added into some kinds of drinking water.

Now this article will be consisting of all details pertaining to the use of fluoride and why it is essentially needed.

Let’s begin:

What is Fluoride?

use of fluoride

It is important to begin with the most basic question.

What does fluoride even mean?

This is actually a mineral which is naturally found in your bones and teeth.

However you can also easily find it in water, soil, plants, rocks as well as in the air.

In dentistry terms, it is used in and found in enamel.

This is the strongest and outer layer of your teeth.

Fluoride is also responsible for preventing cavities to the teeth.

In many cases it will be added into the public water supply.

This means the process of fluoridation is done.

But how and why is it considered so important in the world of dentistry. Let’s now look into that:

Does Fluoride Prevent Tooth Decay?

This is the most simple and basic thing we all are trying to figure out.

What is the role fluoride is playing when we talk of tooth decay.

The fact is fluoride is responsible for prevention of tooth decay.

And why?

Because it takes care of and slows down the process by which enamel is breaking down.

Also it is increasing the rate of the remineralization.

How?

You will notice how the new enamel which is forming actually is far harder and larger. That means its resistance to acid is far more.

But you need to know that tooth enamel is also porous.

So what happens is that when there is plaque on the teeth’s surface, it will be producing acids.

These acids will be seeping into the pores and they will break down the internal structure.

This is the process of demineralization.

And it actually causes your tooth to have cavities if the condition is left untreated.

Do All Toothpaste Have Fluoride?

Many question that if fluoride toothpaste benefits you in so many ways, why do all toothpastes not contain this mineral?

The fact is it is not suiting to everyone in the same way.

Most toothpastes out there will be containing fluoride.

And this is how people get their fluoride intake in the right manner.

We now know that fluoride toothpaste is really important for prevention of tooth decay.

But just how much amount are you getting in your tube of toothpaste varies from person to person.

In certain cases where the water supply has fluoride already added to it.

For such scenarios, you do not need to have that extra nudge of fluoride in your toothpaste.

However in other scenarios, it is okay if your child who is three years and above should be taking in 1000ppm, which is measured in parts per million.

Children and Fluoride

children using fluoride toothpaste

It is important to point out how children who live in poorer regions, will not be having their fluoride requirements met.

This is because the water is not fluoridated.

And that means dental inequalities exist.

These children will be having very poor teeth. And this condition must be handled well.

Fluoride toothpaste benefits in a large number of ways. Also you can apply it in different forms too.

They come in variations like varnishes or gels.

And this is really concentrated and allows your teeth and that of children to have a strong feeling.

In most cases, those people are more likely to have a decay when they are applying this fluoride gel often on their teeth.

In cases where a child has long been suffering from tooth decay, the fluoride toothpaste benefits will not be as much.

And in such cases and scenarios, it is best that you look into ways in which you can manage the condition with additional dentistry efforts.

Now let’s look into its major advantages of using.

Fluoride Toothpaste Benefits

fluoride toothpaste benefits

As it turns out there are several benefits to why you should be using this kind of toothpaste.

For one thing, fluoride is actually going to benefit the teeth in a number of ways.

How?

  • For one thing, it will be rebuilding as well as demineralizing the weakened tooth enamel
  • Also it really helps when it slows down the loss of minerals to your tooth’s enamel
  • In most cases, it will also work great as it reverses the early signs of tooth decay
  • You will notice how it is able to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria on your teeth
  • Also it helps to notice that the bacteria buildup is gradual, so make sure you are brushing on a regular basis to remove those effects completely

What happens when there is bacteria buildup?

It is going to be breaking down the sugar and carbs that are in your diet. These are basically producing the acids which are eating away the minerals at your tooth enamel.

This is the process known as demineralization.

What happens is that it will lead to you having a weakened enamel.

And with that comes the issue of your teeth becoming vulnerable to any bacteria which is causing cavities.

Fluoride aims to rectify this condition and handle the issue in a stronger manner.

Is Fluoride Safe?

Let’s just come to it.

Many consider fluoride is not something you can dabble into freely.

There are definite precautions you will have to look into.

In this article, I also want to speak in detail on what fluoride causes to happen to your teeth in the long run.

Many reports and research has been done on fluoride already.

And through endless research, it has been determined that fluoridated water as well as salt and milk is going to provide its advantages.

Fluoride toothpaste benefits you in plenty of ways.

Any Harmful Side Effects?

There are generally no harmful side effects to it also.

Scientists do not support such claims that fluoride will be hurting your teeth completely.

There are no scientific proof to claims how fluoride toothpaste benefits are limited. And may even cause harm in the long run.

Children are advised to brush their teeth twice with this toothpaste.

But for children who are three years and younger, it is important that they only make use of a small grain of rice amount.

That is more than enough to keep the teeth clean.

Another advantage is that fluoride toothpaste works great as it will preventing the teeth from decaying any further.

All of this measures together and allows you to have great and spotless teeth.

The thing is very young children may also while gurgling, end up swallowing the fluoride.

So in such cases, when it goes into the stomach, it may cause many harmful effects.

That is what you need to be careful about.

What is Fluorosis?

the impact of fluorosis

This is a condition which happens when you are suffering from a prolonged exposure to what we call too much and excess of fluoride.

This is also coming in two main ways.

Either it is dental in nature.

Or it is skeletal. Which means it will be affecting the bones of your body.

While having to suffer from a mild form of this condition is normal, which includes having to see white spots on teeth.

The severe cases are less common.

They relate to when you have brown stains and very weak teeth.

Skeletal fluorosis is the kind in which a person is exposed to this condition for very long hours and a long duration of time.

The impact is far longer and can make your condition even worse with time.

And that is how we know how this is something you will be needing to work on.

Not everyone is impacted by this teeth condition in the same way.

However the effects are different and long-term which leads to how you will be suffering from it in ways far off than you know.

Conclusion

why fluoride matters

When it comes to keeping your teeth minty and clean, there are several factors to consider.

You can do so in a number of ways.

One way is to make use of fluoride toothpaste.

Fluoride toothpaste benefits your teeth in a large number of ways.

It is essentially going to be a leading way to make your teeth look and feel great.

There is also the added benefit of preventing the teeth from erosion and decay.

In this article, we have looked in complete detail on what are the benefits of having fluoride toothpaste.

Why it helps in keeping your teeth in good shape and how often and what amount you should be using it.