You encourage your kids to brush and floss their teeth well every day – but do you know what else you can do to keep their little chompers strong and healthy?
Here at Wiggly Teeth we see lots of children with cavities (in fact, tooth decay is one of the most common diseases in the world). But simply adding regular fluoride treatments to your kids’ dental care routine can help prevent cavities and all the associated problems.
What are fluoride treatments?
Fluoride treatments are a safe way to help prevent or slow tooth decay in children.
Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral that strengthens the enamel of the teeth, helping protect them from the acid formed by plaque bacteria and sugars inside the mouth. While most toothpastes and many water sources contain fluoride, it may not be enough to maintain adequate fluoride levels in children’s teeth, so professional fluoride treatments are beneficial to boost protection.
While many people have concerns about fluoride, rest assured it is only toxic in extremely high doses, and professional dental fluoride treatments are very safe. The benefits to your children’s teeth outweigh the risks.
How are fluoride treatments done?
Fluoride treatments are very quick and painless. They can come in a few forms – varnish, foam or gel.
For fluoride varnish treatments, the dentist simply paints on a small amount of fluoride varnish to the surfaces of the child’s teeth with a brush. The fluoride varnish rapidly hardens and can’t be licked off. After 4 to 12 hours, you can brush your child’s teeth as normal to remove the fluoride varnish.
Fluoride foams are put in a mouthguard which is placed on the teeth for a few minutes.
Fluoride gels can either be applied in a mouthguard or painted on to the teeth.
Why get fluoride treatments?
Fluoride treatments are well worth having because they can help you avoid a LOT of problems down the track.
Fluoride treatments along with twice-daily brushing and flossing along with regular check-ups and cleans at the dentist are a great way to keep your kids’ teeth healthy and strong. Preventing cavities will help you avoid the costs (not to mention the pain and inconvenience) of expensive fillings, extractions and other dental procedures later on.
