Fluoride Facts

Fluoride is an essential part of good oral health:

Beautiful fluoride crystals:

There are many types of fluoride. Sodium fluoride dissolves easily in water and is most popular in rinses. In calcium fluoride, the calcium may help decrease caries. Stannous Fl is anti-bacterial but has a reputation for causing staining. Toothpastes generally use sodium fluoride and stannous fluoride. Do not worry - standard brand toothpastes do not cause staining.

When used with care, fluoride is safe and effective. Excess fluoride can cause tooth staining but, when used properly, either as a topical (such as a gel) or when taken internally (chewable or drops), fluoride will improve your child’s oral health and, subsequently, your child’s overall health, just as it has improved the health of millions of other children.

How does fluoride work?

Fluoride increases the amount of minerals in the tooth, and therefore makes the tooth harder. A strong, mineralized tooth surface is more resistant to decay. For children this is particularly important. Baby teeth are very susceptible to decay. Childhood decay leads to pain, infection and swelling. Fluoride is therefore essential for healthy baby teeth, normal eating, and healthy childhood development.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

has named the fluoridation of water as

one of the top ten most important

public health measures of the 20th

century.

Always use a fluoride toothpaste:

• Use a fluoride toothpaste whether your community has fluoride in the drinking water or not. Before age two, clean your child’s teeth with a wet cloth or gauze. Use plain water only. At age two, add a tiny dot of fluoride toothpaste to a child’s toothbrush. At age six, if the child has learned how to spit, add two dots of fluoride toothpaste.

• It is important to use toothpaste with fluoride. There is strong evidence that fluoride toothpaste provides great benefit to all children and particularly for those children with a high risk of decay.

• Remember, supervision by an adult is a significant part of your child’s brushing routine. Teach your child the importance of fluoride in toothpaste to make teeth healthy.

When are fluoride supplements needed:

• Each community is different. Some have fluoride in the drinking water (either natural or supplied by the community) and some don’t. The dentist will guide you on the proper use of fluoride for your child based on the amount of fluoride present in the drinking water.

• In communities without fluoridated water, fluoride supplements are given in the form of fluoride drops starting at six months. The dosageof fluoride then increases with age. At six years, if the child is ready, you may switch to a fluoride lozenge. Your dentist will guide you on the proper doses of fluoride and discuss with you if your child is ready for a lozenge.

• In communities with fluoride in the water, supplemental fluoride should only be given with care, and only to those children who are prone to decay.If too much fluoride is internalized at a young age, a permanent staining of the teeth known as fluorosis can occur. Your dentist will guide your child’s fluoride intake so that fluorosis does not occur.

  How much fluoride should a child receive:

• If there is no fluoride in your community’s drinking water it will be necessary to give your child fluoride supplements.

  * From six months to three years your child will be given .25mg per day supplement.

  * This will increase to .5mg per day from three to six years.

  * After six full years give 1mg daily.

  These supplements are given by prescription from your dentist.

• In communities without fluoridated water, and if a child is very cavity prone, fluoride rinses may be added. These rinses will start at age six only if the child has learned to rinse and spit. Practice first with plain water as a test. The children’s rinse has 0.02% fluoride, which is one-tenth the dosage of adult rinses.

• Studies have shown that supervised use of fluoride rinses are associated with dramatic reductions in the rate of decay.

• Remember that in communities with fluoridated water, supplemental drops and lozenges may not be indicated.