Dentists advise you to brush your teeth using fluoride toothpaste. But have you ever wondered why fluoride is used for cleaning the teeth and how it benefits your teeth?

For Dr. Lamas at Tijuana Dental Studio in Tijuana, Baja California, educating patients is just as important as giving them beautiful smiles. This blog talks about what fluoride is and how it benefits your teeth.

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that originates from the element fluorine. It is usually found in rocks and soil and is dissolved in flowing water.

Fluoride is believed to have properties essential for making our teeth stronger and preventing gum disease. Hence, fluoride has been used in dental care and treatments for decades.

How Does Fluoride Benefit Your Oral Health?

Here are some amazing benefits of using fluoride to improve your dental health:

• Prevents Tooth Decay

Although you regularly brush and floss your teeth, plaque still manages to sneak in. Plaque is a sticky substance that contains bacteria. These bacteria, each time you eat and drink, release acids that erode your enamel. Repeated exposure to these acids allows the bacteria to get inside the dentin, causing cavities.

Fluoride has antibacterial properties that prevent the buildup of bacteria. It also prevents bacteria from sticking to the teeth, ultimately reducing plaque from causing further damage.

• Helps Remineralize the Teeth

The acids in plaque also wear down the mineral content of your enamel and foster more plaque and bacteria. This further amplifies the process of tooth decay.

Fluoride puts back the lost minerals and remineralizes the teeth. This strengthens your enamel, preventing tooth decay.

How Do You Get Fluoride?

The food and water that you consume contain fluoride. Other sources include fluoride toothpaste and mouthwashes. Fluoride intake can be further enhanced by adding fluoride-rich foods and drinks to your diet.

However, fluoride concentration in natural sources varies widely and may not be sufficient to prevent tooth decay and gum disease in some cases, making fluoride treatments you can get at the dentist necessary.

At Tijuana Dental Studio, we screen all patients for dental decay and advise if a fluoride treatment will help. To know more, call us at (619) 955-6901 (USA)/ (664) 685 6460 (MEX) or visit us at Calle Quinta, Zona Centro, Tijuana, Baja California 7974.