In taking care of your teeth you face many dilemmas such as the strength of the bristles you choose for your brush and whether you ought to use dental floss or dental tape. Another issue that many people wrestle with is that of fluoride and whether it is helpful to use it to aid in the fight against plaque.
Although many studies have shown that the consumption of fluoride can help combat plaque – reducing levels of decay in teeth by some forty to sixty per cent – it is not without controversy. Fluoride is added to the water supply in many countries and some say that it is harmful to humans.
The benefits of fluoride to your teeth are hard to debate, however. Fluoride helps strengthen enamel, the hard substance which is coats your teeth and protects them from the effects of plaque. It is vital that plaque is stopped because it can cause the breakdown of teeth which then might have to be removed if they decay to a great extent.
It is true that a condition called dental fluorosis can develop in children who consume too much fluoride, perhaps by swallowing large amounts of fluoride enriched tooth pastes. But this is a rare happening indeed and the amount of fluoride needed to bring on dental fluorosis is very large. There are about three hundred million people around the world who consume fluoride every day from their tap and many more who do so in the form of tooth paste and negative effects are rarely seen.
Dentists advise that fluoride enhanced tooth pastes are used when brushing teeth but children under two should avoid doing so. For older children, however, fluoride is vital in getting a head start in the development of strong, healthy teeth and supplements are available if you live in an area which has less fluoride in the tap water.
Tags: dental floss, flouride, plaque
