Do You Need Fluoride?
Fluoride is a mineral that is found naturally in many things we eat or drink. It is nature’s way of helping prevent cavities. However nature needs a little assistance to ensure that you get all the Fluoride you need to keep your teeth healthy.
Professional strength – in-office fluorides and low-strength fluorides each play important roles in helping to keep your teeth for life. In the lifelong fight against cavities, both adults and children benefit from in-office treatment and home fluorides.
If you can answer YES to more than four of these questions then you would be advised to ask how our professional in-house fluoride products could help.
- No Fluoride in your drinking water as a child
- No Fluoride in your drinking water now
- Drink filtered or bottled water
- Have receding gums or history of gum disease
- Have multiple fillings and/or crowns
- Strong family history of dental decay
- Mouth feels dry; or takes medications that cause dry mouth; or breathe through mouth
- Currently wear orthodontic braces
- Have sensitivity to hot, cold, or touch
- Use over the counter whitening strips
- Limited hand dexterity
- Use of chewing gum, lozenges, or hard candy with sugar between meals; or strong breath mints
- Visit dental office irregularly
- Currently undergoing (or history of) chemotherapy or radiation therapy
- Suffer from acid reflux
- Teeth that just don’t feel clean or trap food
- Dental work done in the past year
- Snack frequently between meals
- Sip on beverages throughout day (other than water)
- Use tobacco products of any type
- Clench or grind
- Brush less than 2 times per day
- Floss less than once per day
Professional strength in-office fluorides make teeth stronger… and even mineralizes weakened areas. However over time, the high level of fluoride provided by the in-office fluoride treatment will gradually be released from the teeth.
Low-strength home fluorides such as toothpastes and mouth rinses provide an important and valuable complement to the office treatment by replenishing and maintaining a beneficial level of fluoride treatments in the teeth.
Think of office fluoride treatments and home fluorides as your “one-two punch” in the lifelong fight against cavities!