Dental care is one of the most important things parents need to look into while their baby is growing. A general rule of thumb suggested by pediatric dentists when it comes to dental care for children is to brush their teeth twice a day. However, mishaps happen and sometimes you forget. The consequences are tooth decay, increased cavity, and a plethora of other dental problems according to pedodontics. That’s why it’s essential that you take care of your child’s oral hygiene.
Fluoride for the prevention of dental caries
One of the consequences of poor dental care is dental caries. Dental caries, also known as cavities, are a common chronic problem among kids. The main reason behind dental caries is the weakening of the tooth enamel. This usually happens due to consuming foods that are rich in sugar or that produce acid in your mouth.
The acid then breaks down the tooth enamel, which leads to dental caries. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), dental caries remains one of the most common chronic diseases among children of ages 6 to 11 and teenagers. This, however, doesn’t mean that adults don’t experience it at all.
People of all ages can experience dental caries, especially if left untreated during childhood. According to the CDC, dental caries or some sort of tooth decay affect 9 out of 10 adults over the age of 20.
What Is Fluoride?
It’s important to remember that any form of tooth decay can be prevented with proper care. One of the vastly used solutions for preventing dental caries in kids is Fluoride. Fluoride can be defined as a highly concentrated form of ion present in fluorine, a naturally occurring mineral.
Fluoride is found in many foods, but its main application is to prevent tooth decay. However, it’s not enough to prevent dental caries alone. This is because cavities that have broken down the enamel are stubborn and take some time to go away. Fluoride can be used in multiple ways. For example, some people use fluoridated water with a 0.7 ppm concentration.
Fluoride for the prevention of dental caries in kids is targeted at strengthening tooth enamel, so as to prevent cavities. It acts as a highly resilient solution for kids suffering from dental caries. Fluoride is also found in your bones and teeth, along with water, soil, plants, air, and rocks. If you’re thinking about using fluoride to prevent tooth decay, you can find it in over-the-counter products such as fluoridated toothpaste, mouthwashes, and supplements. This can also be used in combination with gc tooth mousse which also promotes the remineralization of teeth.
Prevention of Dental Caries in Kids With Fluoride Varnish And Toothpaste
Fluoride is a great solution for the prevention of dental caries in kids. The ADA (American Dental Association) recommends that children should be taken for a regular dental check-up every 3, 6, or 12 months, depending on the level of tooth decay in their teeth. Your pediatric dentist will guide you on how topical fluoride therapy can help prevent early childhood caries in kids.
The first step in the prevention of dental caries is to administer a small amount of fluoridated toothpaste when your child’s teeth start coming in. For children, dental care professionals offer fluoride solutions in the form of gel, rinse, foam, or varnish. Like we mentioned before, children can be encouraged to take care of their teeth by being exposed to fluoride early on.
Parents can administer fluoride at home by using fluoridated water, or fluoridated toothpaste. Parental assistance is especially important for special kids while using fluoridated products. Using fluoride can do wonders for your child’s dental hygiene. If you’re administering fluoride at home, make sure that your child doesn’t swallow the toothpaste, as this can cause further problems.
Fluoride dose and concentration for kids of different ages
If your child is at high risk for tooth decay, your dentist may prescribe a unique fluoride rinse for regular use. The risk of cavities increases with excessive use of drugs or alcohol, bad oral hygiene, poor diet, dry mouth, weak enamel, eating disorders, and lack of professional dental attention.
Fluoride is also found in several foods such as tea, water, food that is cooked in water, baby formula, and fish when eaten with their bones. The right amount of fluoride intake comes from such dietary sources. According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the optimal daily fluoride intakes as per people’s age:
- Birth to 3 years old – 0.1 to 1.5 milligrams.
- Four to six years old – 1 to 2.5 milligrams.
- Seven to ten years old – 1.5 to 2.5 milligrams
- Adolescents and adults – 1.5 to 4 milligrams.
Benefits of fluoride varnish application and toothpastes
Fluoride is helpful for both children and adults. Many pediatric dentists say that It’s important to expose your children to fluoride at an early age since it significantly reduces the risk of developing tooth decay. According to a study in the field of pediatric dentistry conducted by Cochrane Library, children and adolescents who were introduced to fluoride in their early years or received fluoride treatments for one year were 43% less likely to develop tooth decay. Studies also found that households with fluoridated water reduced the risk of cavities in children by 40 to 60 percent.
Let’s have a look at how fluoride can help with your child’s oral hygiene.
- When your child consumes carbs or sugars, the bacteria in their mouth can produce acid, which feeds the minerals and breaks down the enamel. This process is called demineralization. Fluoride is known for remineralization, i.e., rebuilding of the tooth enamel.
- Fluoride varnish can also significantly reduce the loss of minerals.
- Fluoride can assist in the reversal of early signs of dental caries.
- Fluoride can also help reduce the growth of harmful oral bacteria.
Now that you know how fluoride can help avoid dental caries in kids, it’s time to take your child to the dentist for a check-up. A kids fluoridated toothpaste is recommended during your kids first visit to the pediatric dentist Regular check-ups enable you to keep track of your child’s oral health while giving them a healthy routine to follow.
Get in touch
LITTLE PEARLS ® Dental Clinic Bangalore
Address: BTM 2nd Stage – 1st Floor, 1st Main Road, 46, 7th Cross Rd, BTM Layout, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560076
Phone: 098807 02525