Fluoride: it’s best known for protecting teeth, but just how does it do that?
Fluoride is a colourless, naturally-occurring mineral that can be found throughout the Earth’s surface. When applied in small doses, it has been proven to strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay.
- Water
- PastE
- Gel
Fluoride delivered directly (or topically) to the tooth surfaces by toothpastes and rinses help to maintain fluoride levels in the mouth and provide added benefit to the fluoride delivered systemically via water fluoridation.
Fluoride is often added in very small doses to the drinking water of municipalities as it has been proven to prevent cavities when compared to areas without fluoridated drinking water.
You likely experienced a concentrated fluoride treatment which usually comes in the form of a flavoured gel/foam and is applied to your teeth using dental trays.
What is the mechanism of fluoride in protecting our teeth?
1.Developmental stages of enamel for children below 7 years old.
Fluoride helps in strengthening structure of tooth(enamel) and more resistant to acid.
2. Fluoride helps to promote the process of remineralization & strengthen enamel. Thus, it
is less susceptible to breakdown (demineralization).
Demineralization and remineralization have a crucial impact on the hardness and strength of tooth enamel. The battle to keep teeth strong and healthy is dependent upon the ratio between demineralization and remineralization.
Demineralization is the process of removing minerals, in the form of mineral ions, from dental enamel.
Remineralization allows the subsequent loss of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions to be replaced by fluorapatite crystals.These crystals are substantially larger than the original crystals & more resistant to acid dissolution.
3. Fluoride works against destructive acid which produced by plaque. Thus, fluoride prevent
tooth decay.
Fluoride block some of the most harmful enzymes found in plaque and prevents them
from producing acid that weakens tooth enamel.
4. In children who consumed the suggested amount of fluoride, grooves/fissures were much
shallower. Shallower fissures that it is less likely that food particles and harmful bacteria
will get stuck in pits of the teeth that are difficult to clean.
For those kids who have deep fissures or high caries risk, fissure sealant is recommended to seal off the fissure of molar teeth. Threfore, the molar less susceptible to caries and easy to clean.
