The greatest breakthrough in preventive dentistry durint the last fifty years thas een the use of flouoride.
Almost all water naturally contains some fluoride. About two-thirds of American cities add additional fluoride to the water supply for the prevention of tooth decay. If fact, fluoridation of public water system can reduce cavities in baby teeth by 60% and those in permanent teeth by 35%.
The benefits of fluoride
There are many benefits in the use of fluoride for people of all ages. When children are young and their teeth are forming, fluoride joins with the enamel surface and make sit harder and more resistant to decay.
The benefits for adults are just as great. Fluoride can help repair an early cavity, even before it’s become visible in the mouth, by rebuilding the enamel layer of the teeth. Fluoride is also helpful in older adults, to help solve the problem of cavities in the tooth root or root sensitivity. |
