Your Lethbridge Invisalign® Provider
Fluoride is a widely used agent to help prevent tooth decay. This natural mineral is present in varying amounts in almost all water and food supplies.
Fluoride Treatments
For over 50 years, the benefits of fluoride have been supported by many health and professional organizations.
We may recommend professional fluoride treatments for the following reasons:
- Deep grooves and pits on the chewing surfaces of teeth
- Root surfaces which are sensitive and exposed
- Oral hygiene which is fair to poor
- Excess carbohydrate and sugar intake
- Under exposure to fluoride
- Medications or medical treatments that limit saliva flow
Although fluoride helps prevent tooth decay, it cannot keep your smile healthy by itself. Ultimately, preventing decay requires a combination of different steps.
In addition to fluoride treatment, work on reducing sugary snacks, eating balanced meals, brushing and flossing regularly, and visiting your dentist at least twice a year for check ups and cleanings.
Sealants
When the chewing surface of molars and premolars have deep grooves, we apply a thin plastic coating called a sealant. We can attribute 75% of dental decay to these deep grooves.
The presence of such deep groves can make the teeth more susceptible to decay because of their difficulty to clean. The sealant creates a smooth and easy surface to clean, which covers the deep grooves.
Reasons for sealants:
- Teenagers and children have cavity prone teeth between the ages of 6-16, as well as the 1st permanent back teeth
- Adults - teeth that have deep depressions or grooves without decay
- Baby teeth - if the child is cavity prone they are occasionally done if their teeth have deep grooves