Yes, it is a good idea to drink water with fluoride and to use fluoridated toothpaste. Fluoridation in the water supply varies from community to community, and extra fluoride provides more protection for your son or daughter’s teeth. Fluoride helps to prevent cavities, a form of tooth damage. In this article, we will discuss the importance of fluoride, and when your child may need braces.
Why Fluoride is Necessary
Why should my child get fluoride in drinking water or toothpaste?
- It helps prevent cavities, which are holes in the teeth.
What are the most common causes of holes in my child’s teeth?
- Poor dental care. Brushing the teeth twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste and using dental floss at least once daily helps prevent tooth problems.
- Improper nutrition. Your son or daughter should avoid sugary and high-carbohydrate foods along with avoiding soda pop and fruit juice.
- Grinding of teeth.
What is the risk of untreated holes in the teeth?
- Your son or daughter may develop toothaches, gum disease, and lose teeth.
The Beginning
The practice of adding fluoride to drinking water began in the 1940s after dentists observed that children living in communities with naturally high levels of fluoride had fewer cavities than those who didn’t. Several communities began adding fluoride to municipal water supplies as a public health measure to lessen the prevalence of dental decay.
Studies revealed that cavity rates in those communities were lower than in comparison communities that did not fluoridate, and increasing numbers of municipalities decided to fluoridate in ensuing decades. Rates of dental decay continued to drop. Today, more than 200 million Americans live in communities with fluoridated water.
Fluoridated Water
What is the likelihood that my community has water treated with fluoride?
- If you are on a public water system, you are highly likely to drink water with fluoride in it. 3 out of 4 water system companies put fluoride in the water supply.
The ADA has reviewed studies on fluoride’s health effects and says that the dental community has taken them into consideration. Therefore, he reports that at present “the evidence points to its being safe” and notes that we lack information about urinary levels in Americans.
However…
the San Francisco School of Dentistry says it has become “harder and harder to separate the benefit of water fluoridation in light of the use of fluoride products” such as toothpaste and fluoride varnishes. Designing a study that can tell us with certainty that fluoridated water confers benefits above and beyond what we derive from other sources of fluoride and dental care like sealants, he says, is “very difficult.”
What is Plaque?
- Plaque is a film that accumulates on your teeth, and it is full of bacteria.
What can be done about plaque?
- Brushing and flossing the teeth daily can remove plaque.
Why is plaque bad for you?
- Plaque can lead to holes in the teeth, bad breath, and diseased gums.
General Orthodontics
What are the different kinds of alignment problems with the upper and lower teeth?
- An overbite occurs when the front teeth are much further out front than the lower teeth.
- A crossbite occurs when the lower tooth is in front of the upper teeth.
- An underbite occurs when the lower teeth are in front of the upper teeth.
- An open bite occurs when the upper and lower teeth do not touch each other.
- Crowded or crooked teeth.
- Buck teeth or teeth are too far forward.
How soon should my child see an orthodontist?
- Before age 7 or when he or she is 7 years old.
Why should my son or daughter see an orthodontist so early in life?
- He or she will do a pre-screening and might be able to prevent your son or daughter from requiring his or her teeth to be fixed in the future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, fluoride is used in water and toothpaste, and it helps prevent cavities. Take your son or daughter to Dr. Nease early, because it might prevent future problems with his or her teeth. If he or she has crooked teeth, or trouble chewing or swallowing, or grinds teeth, get help immediately.
2455 E. Main Street
Spartanburg, SC 29307
Phone: (864) 579-7700
What if (Our Water Supply is Fluoridated)
