Benefits and Risks of Fluoride Treatment
If you have visited a dentist even once, then you must have heard them mention something about Fluoride Treatment. It is a common service offered in pediatric dentistry as well as general dentistry. While many children get the treatment compared to adults, adults too, stand to benefit a lot from the treatment.
Instead of relying on hearsay, learning more facts about a dental treatment can help you make an informed decision about whether or not it is worth the investment.
What Is Fluoride Treatment?
It is a dental procedure that involves enriching natural teeth with fluoride. Fluoride is a natural mineral that is otherwise found in foods and drinks we consume. Such foods include fluoridated water, tea, fish with bones, to mention a few. However, these sources of fluoride do not provide enough of the element to keep teeth strong and protected from bacteria. This is the reason why dentists at Westchase offer fluoride treatments to patients.
What Does the Treatment Entail?
It is a painless procedure that is done by a dentist or dental hygienist. It involves the following steps:
1. Teeth cleaning – involves brushing and flossing your teeth professionally. In some cases, it may entail root planing and scaling, if you have plaque and tartar on the surfaces of your teeth.
2. Application of fluoride varnish – the varnish is painted on your teeth using a cotton swab or a small toothbrush. Your dentist will ensure to cover all surfaces of your teeth. As soon as the fluoride varnish interacts with saliva, it hardens on your teeth. At this, your dentist will tell you to allow at least 24 hours before you tamper with the setting of the varnish. This allows your teeth ample time to absorb as much fluoride as necessary. Afterward, you can brush your teeth and resume your regular eating habits.
What Are The Benefits of Fluoride Treatment?
If your dentist in Carrollwood still insists on you getting your teeth professionally fluoridated, it makes you question what the benefits of the treatment could be. Among many of them, some of the benefits of fluoride treatment include the following:
1. Strengthening teeth – the teeth’ enamels absorb the fluoride from the treatment gradually. When the element penetrates the different layers of teeth, it makes them stronger than they were.
2. Fighting dental caries – cavities on teeth occur when bacteria begin to infringe teeth layer by layer. The bacteria start by damaging the enamel, then penetrates to the dentin and the subsequent layers after it. Fluoride varnish creates a protective layer on your teeth that makes it harder for bacteria to breach the multiple layers to attack your teeth.
3. Boosting oral hygiene – dentists in Tampa do not just apply fluoride varnish on unclean teeth. The first order of business when getting this treatment is a cleaning session. The dental hygienist will remove plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth. The importance of cleaning first is to ensure that no bacteria is trapped underneath the layer of the fluoride varnish applied. This step plays a significant role in improving your oral hygiene, particularly when you determine to do it periodically as recommended by your dentist in Odessa.
4. Supporting healthy teeth – by fighting infections and strengthening teeth, this treatment supports excellent oral health.
Risks Associated with Fluoride Treatment
Like with other medications, a fluoride treatment may have side effects that are not particularly friendly to patients. While they are not common, a dentist near you will caution you about some of the following risks:
1. Staining teeth – on adult teeth, the fluoride varnish might leave white specks that appear as stains on teeth.
2. Acute toxicity – this may lead to symptoms like nausea, fatigue, excessive sweating, and diarrhea.
3. Bone homeostasis complications
However, understand that these side effects and risks of fluoride treatment only apply when the concentration of fluoride used is excessive. This is why you should not fluoridate your teeth by yourself. A dental professional is best fitted to perform these tasks, to heighten the safety levels of the procedure as much as possible. If you are concerned about any of the risk factors, determine to talk through it with your dentist before the treatment begins.