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One of the best things that you can do for yourself or your children is to have a fluoride treatment in the dental office. Fluoride is a natural occurring mineral which helps to strengthen and protect your tooth enamel. It can also help reverse the very early stages of a cavity. With regular brushing and flossing twice a day fluoride treatment is one of the cornerstones in the prevention of cavities.
In our office we provide primarily a fluoride varnish treatment which allows the fluoride to protect your smile over a longer period of time. This is a very simple non invasive treatment that takes less than 10 minutes and can be done during your regularly scheduled hygiene appointment.
Before a fluoride treatment we perform a cavity risk assessment to determine how often a fluoride treatment is required. If we find that you are less susceptible to cavities we typically only recommend one fluoride treatment a year.
There are two types of fluoride treatment: topical and systemic. Topical fluoride treatments, like toothpaste, mouthwash, gel, and varnish are applied to the outside of the teeth, making them less susceptible to decay. Systemic fluoride treatments, like water fluoridation, fluoride supplements are ingested, strengthening the structure of the teeth from within.
The best time to start a fluoride treatment was yesterday. The second best time to start is today. We recommend fluoride treatment as young as six months, or when the first primary teeth start to come in, and continue up until at least the age of 16.
Most adults get a sufficient amount of fluoride through their regular dental routine and don’t necessarily need additional fluoride treatment. However, if you have not been receiving fluoride treatment as an adult and are experiencing any of the follow, consider making an appointment with your dentist:
After the fluoride treatment is applied to your teeth, we recommend waiting to eat for at least an hour. Hot drinks, like coffee and tea, should be avoided for 4-6 hours. We also recommend that you don’t brush or floss your teeth for 4-6 hours after your fluoride treatment as this could remove the varnish from the teeth.
If you’re in need of fluoride treatment or teeth varnishing services please feel free to contact us online or call our Martinsburg, West Virginia dental office directly at 304.267.6059 to schedule your appointment. We provide a wide range of general dentistry care as well as more involved dentistry services for patients throughout the Martinsburg area and look forward to you joining the Cornerstone Dental family.
