It’s every family dentist’s favorite time of the year: National Children’s Dental Health Month. Every February, the American Dental Association hosts a month-long campaign to recognize the importance of good oral health for kids across the country. This year, the theme centers on fluoride and how it contributes to lower rates of tooth decay and fewer cavities for kids (and their families) across America.
This month, during this special public health observance, we thought it would be prudent to spend some time doing our part and conduct a little outreach for fluoride, one of our favorite oral health resources. Enjoy learning a few new things about this amazing little mineral.
Where Fluoride Comes From
Fluoride begins its journey in the earth’s crust as the element fluorine. As water moves through the layer of the planet’s surface, it pulls fluoride minerals from the rocks and soil and pushes it into the groundwater. Fluoride is found in various concentrations in all naturally occurring bodies of water on the Earth, including rain.
How Fluoride Works to Protect Your Teeth
Three different things occur when fluoride comes in contact with your teeth. First, fluoride protects the structural integrity of your teeth by preventing natural mineral loss due to acid-causing bacteria. Secondly, fluoride causes a process to occur called remineralization, in which healthy tooth structures depleted by acid are replaced with new minerals. Finally, fluoride helps protect your teeth from future acid attacks by making it tougher for plaque to stick to them.
How Fluoridated Community Water Helps Prevent Tooth Decay
In the mid-90s, the US Department of Health and Human Services generated a report that examined some of the most impactful public health initiatives of the 20th century. In their report, they listed community water fluoridation as one of the top achievements. In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the same. No public health measure has done more to prevent tooth decay.
Today, nearly 75% of the US population has access to fluoridated community water, which helps reduce tooth decay by more than 25% for children and adults in those areas. According to the American Dental Association, it’s also cost-effective. To give someone fluoridated water for their entire life is actually cheaper than the cost of a single dental filling.
Does Bottled Water Contain Fluoride?
We get asked this question a lot. The answer is that most bottled water does not contain enough fluoride. Bottled water treated by distillation or through a process called reverse osmosis often contains no fluoride.
Thanks for Reading!
Thanks for taking a moment to learn about fluoride this National Children’s Dental Health Month and how it’s used to reduce tooth decay in your community. If you enjoy our blog, please drop by and like our Facebook page to see the newest posts.