The Role of Fluoride in the Fight Against Tooth Decay

Dean Redzic
Fluoride is an important substance that helps in the formation of our teeth.
The newly developing teeth absorb it. It can also eliminate plaques present on teeth.
Fluoride is present in the water that we drink, the toothpaste we use and even in our saliva. Fluoride is an effective substance for our teeth to remain strong and healthy. Although Fluoride is beneficial for our teeth's health, it can also cause damages once it is overly used.

High concentration of Fluoride can cause teeth discoloration and sometimes, it destroys our teeth.
So, it is also important to control the amount of fluoride we apply or use for our teeth. How can we control the amount of Fluoride that should only be utilized by our body? Here are the sources of Fluoride and the ways on how are we going to control the amount of usage to avoid damages on our teeth.

Fluoride in drinking water

Developing or growing teeth since a child's birth until he reaches 12 years old absorbs fluoride in our drinking water. It is built together into the teeth during the formation. It makes the teeth harder and resistant to decays. On the other hand, drinking water with high Fluoride concentration can also damage our teeth. As much as possible, you should always make sure that you are drinking water contains just enough Fluoride to keep your teeth healthy.

Fluoride in toothpaste

Fluoride acts against bacterial plaque. The toothpaste we use contains fluoride to reduce bacteria that cause decays to our teeth. Fluoride when applied to teeth can destroy bacteria that enter the weak surfaces of our teeth. It can also keep our gums healthier. However, too much fluoride concentration in toothpaste can also destroy your strong teeth. So, you should see to it that the toothpaste that you're using everyday has just right Fluoride concentration to maintain your teeth's health.

Fluoride in saliva

Our saliva is mixed up with the water that we drink and the foods, we take that contain fluoride. This can inhibit erosion of enamel by the uptake of fluoride iron. To ensure that our Saliva would contain the right Fluoride concentration, make sure that the foods and drinks that you will take do not contain too much Fluoride that could harm our gums and teeth.

To ensure your teeth's health, it is necessary to provide just enough Fluoride for our teeth. Too much of everything is harmful. Even if Fluoride can help fight our tooth decay, it can still be damaging if we will use it improperly.

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