fluoride toothpaste

The prevention of tooth decay through community water fluoridation is recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of 10 Great Achievements in Public Health of the 20th Century. Here is the CDC’s List of Ten Great Public Health Achievements in the United States from 1900 to 2000:

• Vaccination
• Motor-vehicle safety
• Safer workplaces
• Control of infectious diseases
• Decline in deaths from coronary heart disease and stroke
• Fluoridation of drinking water
• Recognition of tobacco use as a health hazard
• Safer and healthier foods
• Healthier mothers and babies
• Family planning

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), community water fluoridation is the single most effective public health action to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride is a mineral found in plants, animals and soils that is necessary to help strengthen bones and make teeth more resistant to decay. Community water fluoridation is the adjustment of naturally occurring fluoride levels in drinking water to an optimal fluoride level recommended by the United States Public Health Service for the prevention of tooth decay.

Fluoride reduces tooth decay, prevents loss of teeth and reduces dental infection and pain. Even in teeth that are beginning to decay, fluoride use strengthens enamel and can stop further decay. Topical use of fluoride includes fluoride toothpaste, fluoride rinses, and professionally applied fluoride foams and gels. Topical fluoride is absorbed into the surface of the teeth, making the enamel stronger and more resistant to decay. Systemic fluoride is ingested into the body, either by drinking fluoridated water or through fluoride supplements. Teeth and bones do not store fluoride permanently, but need regular doses to stay strong and healthy. At the Millersville and Greenbelt dental offices of  McCarl Dental Group we apply fluoride after each teeth cleaning by a Dental Hygienist. When appropriate, our Dentists and Hygienists prescribe extra strength fluoride toothpaste or mouth rinse.

Fluoride helps prevent dental cavities and decay at all ages. In young developing teeth, systemic fluoride enhances overall tooth development and provides long-lasting protection against tooth decay. Parents and caregivers should monitor the use fluoride-containing dental products by children younger than 6 years. Young children should be supervised while brushing and taught to spit toothpaste out, rather than swallowing the toothpaste. Place a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste on a young child’s toothbrush. The use of fluoride mouth rinses is not recommended for children younger than 6 years of age because they may swallow the rinse. Ingestion of higher-than-recommended levels of fluoride by children has been associated with an increased risk of very mild or mild permanent discoloration in developing, un-erupted teeth.

Mature teeth also benefit from systemic use of fluoride. Fluoride is especially important for senior adults as their gums start to recede. Adults experiencing gum line recession are at increased risk for root decay because the root surface becomes exposed to decay-causing bacteria in the mouth. Topical fluoride applied in the dental office and systemic fluoride from fluoridated drinking water strengthens the structure of the root surfaces, making them more resistant to decay.

After more than 60 years of rigorous scientific study of water fluoridation by numerous organizations, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence indicates that community water fluoridation is a safe and effective public health measure for preventing tooth decay. For more information about fluoride and oral health, visit “www.ada.org”.

It is not uncommon to see a dramatic increase in dental cavities during college years. A diet high in sugar coupled with changes in personal hygiene are often to blame for the increase in tooth decay.

Tooth decay and dental cavities are caused by bacteria that are normally present in and around the teeth. These bacteria feed off the food you put in your mouth and love sugar. Today’s fast-paced college lifestyle is filled with fast food, sugar-packed coffees and sugary soft drinks. Even diet-sodas are very acidic and increase the predisposition toward cavities because bacteria thrive in an acidic environment. Byproducts of the bacteria in your mouth cause a breakdown of the adjacent enamel, starting a “cavity.”  Another risk factor for cavities are the changes in personal hygiene that often occur during college years.

Symptoms of cavities and tooth decay vary depending on the location and depth of the cavity. When a cavity is in its early stages, there may not be any symptoms. As tooth decay increases, it may cause tooth sensitivity or a toothache, varying degrees of pain when you bite down or when eating or drinking something sweet, hot or cold, visible holes or pits in your teeth, or generalized discomfort or pain in the mouth or jaw. A dental cavity will not get better on its own. If you’re experiencing one or more cavity symptoms, it’s time to see a dentist. At McCarl Dental Group we offer our new dental patients a discount of more than two hundred dollars for their initial dental cleaning , dental exam and necessary x-rays.

“Pit and fissure” cavities are the most common type of cavities. Back teeth or molars have natural grooves, fissures and “pits” on their chewing surface. Pronounced pits, grooves, or fissures retain plaque. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach inside to clean these deep pits and fissures further allowing plaque and tartar to accumulate. During college years, in young adults who do not floss their teeth regularly, we see an increase in interproximal tooth decay causing cavities in-between the teeth. Because of their location, most of the time interproximal cavities can only be seen with an x-ray.
Once a dental cavity is detected, the dentist removes bacteria and decay and fills the cavity to restore strength to the tooth.  In deep cavities, the nerve of the tooth may be affected by the bacteria, requiring additional cleaning of the infected nerve called a “root canal”.  Luckily, this occurs only in the deepest of cavities. Usually there are warning signs, such as a sensitivity to extreme temperatures or to sweet foods.

Preventing Dental Cavities
The first step in preventing cavities is to maintain good oral hygiene to minimize bacterial colonization. It is important to brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and floss daily. The use of a fluoride rinse also helps by strengthening tooth enamel. You can also help prevent cavities by eating well-balanced, nutritious meals and limiting snacking. Maintaining your regularly scheduled dental visits for teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment by a dental hygienist not only helps prevent tooth decay, but the dental exam improves the likelihood of early detection of cavities and treatment with a small rather than large filling.

At McCarl Dental Group we recommend college students have dental exams with teeth cleaning by a professional hygienist every six months. We also recommend that young adults use a prescription strength flouride toothpaste. McCarl dentists recommend Colgate PreviDent 5000 Plus prescription-strength fluoride toothpaste.