Fluoride isn’t just for kiddos with teeth!

How Does Fluoride Protect Teeth?

 
You know fluoride will make your kiddo’s teeth stronger, but fluoride also benefits little ones who’s teeth haven’t come in yet. Before teeth break through the gums, the fluoride taken in from foods, beverages and dietary supplements makes tooth enamel (the hard surface of the tooth) stronger, making it easier to resist tooth decay. This provides a “systemic” benefit that ensures those new little pearly whites are stronger and more resistant to decay.

The recommendation is to start babies on fluoride supplementation at 6 months of age, whether they have erupted teeth or not. The fluoride enters the system and deposits in calcifying tissues; the developing teeth. It changes the enamel, making it harder and more acid-resistant. You can talk to Dr. Dunne about how to start your baby on fluoride.

Once teeth have erupted, fluoride helps rebuild (remineralize) weakened tooth enamel and reverses early signs of tooth decay. When you brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste or use other fluoride dental products, the fluoride is applied to the surface of your teeth, providing what a “topical” benefit, furthering the tooth’s strength.

In addition, the fluoride you take in from foods and beverages continues to provide a topical benefit because it becomes part of your saliva, constantly bathing the teeth with tiny amounts of fluoride that help rebuild weakened tooth enamel.