Everyone wants a set of pearly white beautiful, and healthy teeth. Good teeth are not only aesthetically appealing, but they are also crucial indicators of overall health. Tooth loss, decay, chipped teeth, discolouration and gum diseases are all entirely preventable. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have healthy teeth with time and effort.
In addition to eating healthy and maintaining a daily oral routine, you can also include several decay-preventing techniques into your everyday habit. One such method is water fluoridation.
We will throw in some statistics here just to further our point about the immense benefits of water fluoridation. According to the American Dental Association, an ideal amount of fluoride – 1 mg/L – in community water is safe, which prevents dental decay in adults and children by 25%.
Before we jump right into the topic at hand, let’s briefly understand a bit about fluoride and where it’s generally used.
Fluoride – What is it?
Fluoride is a mineral found in water, soil, rocks, plants, teeth, bones, and air. Fluoride is not a medication but can be used medically to treat oral health issues. It comes from fluorine and is available abundantly in nature.
Every day some amounts of minerals are lost and added to the tooth’s outer enamel layer. It happens during two processes – demineralization and remineralization.
When acids from the foods, bacteria, plaque and sugars attack the mouth, minerals from the enamel get eroded in demineralization. Further, when minerals such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride are added to the enamel by the foods we consume, it is called remineralization. When the minerals are lost faster than getting added, it leads to tooth decay and cavities.
Where is it generally used?
You can find fluoride in
- Toothpaste, mouth rinses, gels and tooth varnishes.
- Fluoride is also present naturally in food products, sea and freshwater.
- It is added to our public water supply.
- Fluoride-based mouth rinses are also recommended by dentists to keep your Invisalign smile looking bright.
What is Community Water Fluoridation?
Water fluoridation involves adjusting fluoride levels in community water to promote better oral health and prevent tooth decay. You will experience fewer cavities and a reduced need for fillings or tooth removal due to decay by drinking fluoride water.
Even if the teeth must be extracted, water fluoridation reduces the pain and suffering you might experience during tooth extraction. Water fluoridation also saves money that could otherwise be spent on getting dental treatments, repairs, or procedures.
The Four Amazing Benefits of Water Fluoridation
1. Tooth Decay Prevention:
Fluoride in water is one of the ways to protect the teeth, especially in kids. By continuously exposing the teeth to low fluoride levels, we can build a protective shield around the teeth. And, community-wide water fluoridation is an effective solution to achieve this.
The British Dental Association has recently welcomed a joint statement by the UK’s Chief Medical Officers stating the benefits of water fluoridation. As a result, the BDA supports and promotes the efforts to provide fluoride via water in all the areas where it is feasible.
2. Keeps Tooth Cavities at Bay:
Fluoride shields the teeth and protects them from bacteria and plaque. Studies have shown that water fluoridation prevents 25% of tooth decay in kids and adults.
Fluoride also prevents the onslaught of cavities, tooth decay, bad breath, and plaque build-up. The quantity of fluoride in the water is kept under check to ensure that it is low enough to increase enamel remineralization and decrease tooth enamel demineralization.
Doctors recommending Invisalign London, are also of the opinion that giving your invisible teeth fluoride treatment can extend its life. Besides, they believe that it should be a part of your regular Invisalign oral healthcare.
3. Great Benefit for Children:
Tooth decay and other dental issues are detrimental for kids as they lose school hours due to such problems. Tooth decay turns out to be a severe problem when children don’t get relief as their patience levels and ability to handle pain is less than adults.
It is crucial for children – especially between the ages of 6 months to 16- years to consume small quantities of fluoride every day. The reason why this timeframe is crucial is that this is when the permanent teeth start appearing.
That doesn’t mean adults can’t benefit from fluoride. It is important that you monitor the quantity of fluoride consumption, as anything in excess is harmful to your health.
4. Cost Savings:
Visiting the dentist is very important. What if you were able to limit the number of dentist visits by improving your dental health?
Sounds good right?
According to Public Health England models, water fluoridation reduces dental issues by at least 21.78% in 10 years. It only includes the regular check-up cost. By using natural protective methods to make the teeth stronger and immune, we can further save the money that could be otherwise spent on getting the treatment for the dental issues that might manifest.
Conclusion
Water fluoridation is a natural and organic method to prevent a significant dental issues, or tooth decay, and even keep your Invisalign smile intact. As all problems start from allowing bacteria to eat your teeth, fluoridation protects your teeth by making them stronger and moving a healthy cycle.