According to the American Dental Association, water fluoridation reduces decay by more than 25% in children and adults. Fluoride application from your dentist in Dublin contains a higher level of this naturally occurring mineral, making it very effective at safeguarding against decay and building up tooth enamel.

What is fluoride?

Fluoride already exists in your teeth and bones. It’s also in soil, plants, rocks, water, and air. Researchers first looked into the link between fluoride and dental health in the early 20th century. In the late 1940s, it was introduced to the water supply in communities across North America. Although we are most familiar with it because of going to the dentist, it’s something we’ve consumed small amounts of in our food since we were kids. Some people avoid fluoride like the plague because they believe it’s harmful and can cause rare bone cancer in boys. However, the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t found a link between cancer and fluoride.

How fluoride works to protect your teeth

There are two ways that fluoride can prevent cavities.

• Before infants’ baby teeth emerge, it helps harden the tooth enamel.
• It hardens the enamel of existing adult teeth.

As your dentist, we can put fluoride on your teeth with a highly concentrated gel, varnish, foam, or rinse.

Are you getting enough fluoride?

If you’re drinking fluorinated water, brushing with toothpaste containing this mineral will do the trick. People in areas that lack fluoride in their water can take fluoride drops or tablets every day. If you’d like to know more about your fluoride consumption, just ask our team about it!