Fluoride Treatment for Kids

The most common disease worldwide in both children and adults is dental cavities. Fluoride is the safest and best way to combat and prevent cavities. Our mouths have millions of bacteria present at all times. Sounds disgusting but that is a fact. The bacteria feeds on the sugars in the foods we eat and the beverages we drink. This creates an acid that attacks the hard-outer shell of our teeth which is called enamel. The acid will wear away the enamel creating cavities and other problems. Fluoride counters that activity.

What is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral that is found in many foods and in some drinking water. As that acid attacks the enamel of the tooth it is removing minerals. Fluoride will actually replace those minerals. In fact, you can increase the minerals in your enamel with additional fluoride. With children under the age of six the fluoride will become incorporated into the development of the permanent teeth making it even more difficult for those acids to demineralize the new enamel.

How do You Administer Fluoride Treatment for Your Child?

Your pediatrician is trained to address the health of your child’s mouth and developing good dental habits even before your child has their first tooth. The pediatrician can apply a simple fluoride varnish on the first teeth two to four times a year to protect those new teeth from cavities. The varnish is totally safe. The fluoride varnish is painted on the top and sides of each tooth and will harden as it comes in contact with the child’s saliva. There is absolutely nothing painful about the process and the varnish application only takes a minute or two. They can eat or drink right away but should avoid something real hot or real cold. They should not brush or floss for four to six hours as well.

Creating Good Dental Habits that include Fluoride Treatments

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that your child should receive an assessment or evaluation of their oral health as early as six months of age. If it is determined that there is a higher risk of early dental cavities they might be referred to a dentist at that age. A dentist should be determined for all children by their first birthday.

Creating, developing and extending good oral hygiene habits can start earlier versus later. Getting your child acclimated to drinking water it good for their overall health as well as delivering fluoride. Use a toothpaste that has fluoride in it and that is a sneaky way to help protect that enamel. Of course, brushing well twice a day is a given in establishing good habits to remove the sugars in their mouth. Flossing is also very important at all ages. This gets the nasty plaque off the teeth in those tough in-between places that the toothbrush can’t reach.

Fluoride treatments are just part of developing good oral habits. The best part is you and your child reap the benefits. Take care of those teeth and you and the child avoid cavities and the process to get rid of those cavities.

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