What Is Fluoride Application In Pediatric Dentistry?

Healthy teeth and gums are essential to the overall health of your child. Your pediatric dentist will talk to you about good dental habits, even before the first tooth develops. Once your child develops a tooth or teeth, the dentist may recommend that they receive a fluoride application in the pediatrician’s office to help prevent their tooth decay.

Fluoride application can be done twice a year, depending on how likely your child may get the cavity. A pediatric dentist will apply fluoride varnish on your child’s teeth in a short while. You do not need to worry about your child being uncomfortable during the process, as the procedure is painless.

What Is Fluoride?

A fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in things such as plants, oceans, rocks, and groundwater. Since it’s proven to prevent tooth decay, it is also common in community sources and dental products.

Why Is Fluoride Important?

When children eat or drink, the bacteria in the mouth feed on the starches and sugars and release acids that erode your child’s enamel. When the enamel breaks down, tooth decays, and cavities will develop.

Fluoride penetrates the enamel, improving its strength, making it more resistant to acid attacks, and even reversing early tooth decay. Fluoride also promotes remineralization, which is when minerals are redeposited into the enamel after the acids strip them.

In younger kids who still have baby teeth, fluoride is incorporated into the developing permanent teeth. As a result, when permanent teeth erupt, they will be less prone to cavities. In older kids and adults, fluoride hinders acidic production, which helps with remineralization. This means that fluoride can prevent cavities in people of age.

Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established that fluoride decreases cavities in adults and kids by approximately 25%. Fluoride is so effective in fighting tooth decay.

Is Fluoride Safe for Kids?

Yes, fluoride is safe for children when applied in the correct dose. Many people in the United States have been drinking fluoridated water for over 75 years. Thus has been endorsed by many organizations like the American Dental Association and the World Health Organization.

While too much fluoride in early childhood may cause fluorosis, a condition that may result in pitting or white spots in your child’s enamel, most cases are very mild. Getting too much fluoride is less common than not getting the right amount.

If you are concerned about your child getting too much fluoride, then you should talk with your pediatric dentist when in need of fluoride treatment near you. They can help you determine the correct dosage of fluoride to keep your child’s teeth strong.

What is A Fluoride Treatment for Kids, and How Does It Work?

A fluoride treatment is when your dentist applies topical fluoride to your child’s teeth. While a foam or gel in a fluoride tray your child bites into can be used, our fluoride treatment at Houston is usually performed using a varnish. Your pediatric dentist, Houston, paints the varnish on your child’s teeth after performing a dental cleaning. The whole process is completely painless and is done in a few minutes.

Applying the fluoride varnish is faster and more tolerated by the kids, unlike some methods. It is also good for younger children as the varnish hardens when it comes to contact with the saliva, so there is no need to worry that your child will swallow it or lick it off. Your dentist will recommend that your child wait about half an hour following the procedure before taking something and at least wait six hours before brushing their teeth.

When Should Kids Get a Fluoride Treatment?

Unless your child has a higher risk of tooth decay, it is recommended that your kid gets a fluoride treatment at least twice a year. Your child’s first dental visit should be scheduled when they turn a year old. After that, you can ask your dentist whether it is beneficial to have fluoride applied to your child’s teeth. Fluoride treatments should, however, continue until tour child reaches the age of 16.

Though fluoride treatments are more crucial when one is developing teeth, having a fluoride treatment when an adult or teen will still be effective. That’s why a lot of o people opt to continue with the application throughout their lives.