Fluoride helps strengthen our tooth enamel, so that sugars and acids cannot attack our tooth enamel as easily. But do you know the full benefits? Let’s learn more about these.
Tooth enamel is the first line of defense when it comes to protecting the interior of our teeth. It’s a hard substance made of hydroxyapatite that is constantly under stress from everything we eat, especially anything with added sugars, such as sodas and candies, for example. Because of this, it’s crucial that we take the necessary steps to ensure the longevity of our tooth enamel, and one of the steps we can take is the use of Fluoride.
What is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a substance commonly used to strengthen the enamel by using a demineralization process, which helps rebuild the loss minerals within the enamel that is worn away by sugars and acids; both of which are commonly consumed each and everyday.
Fluoride is often found in many different foods, and in some cases even beverages. To expedite this process however, we can apply Fluoride to our teeth, and even consume different fluoride supplements.
Fluoride helps our tooth enamel bind together in a much stronger fashion, and at a faster rate. Plus, fluoride helps kill bacteria within the mouth, which can also have a negative effect on tooth enamel just like with sugars and acids.
Where To Find Fluoride
Fluoride is not a mineral that can be found in abundance in everyday foods and drinks, which means the best way to begin taking advantage of this mineral is to purchase fluoride supplements (consult your dentist for a prescription) use fluoride toothpaste, mouth rinse, and gels. You may need to consult your dentist and ask about applying this mineral directly to your teeth.
You may also find that your tap water has fluoride within it, but this is sometimes rare and really depends on the location and ordinances. All of these are proven to work well, especially when a topical gel or rinse is applied directly on the teeth by a dentist, so if you’re not sure which will work best, your dentist will point you in the right direction.
Great Daily Regimen
Are you curious as to what a great daily regimen looks like? If so, then you have lucked out. Here is a great daily regimen to ensure you are taking the proper steps to maintain your teeth in a healthy fashion.
Brushing
Most of us know that brushing is the most important part in a healthy dental lifestyle. But do you follow it? Brushing your teeth two to three times each day is very important to ensure plaque and food does not have the chance to build up. Brushing is particularly helpful after eating something very high in sugar, although waiting an hour after consumption but no more than two is recommended.
Flossing
Brushing our teeth is important, but the bristles of the toothbrush does not reach very well in between our teeth. Because of this, we must use floss, which will allow us to remove any plaque and food buildup that has found itself between our teeth. If this is not removed, it can assist in growth of bacteria and cause tooth erosion.
Rinsing
Mouthwash is considered one of the best bacteria killers available when it relates to dental health, and it’s known to kill as much bacteria as brushing in itself does. Rinsing out our mouth with mouthwash after brushing and flossing will ensure that all areas of the mouth are reached, and will kill off any bacteria missed by previous tools.