Many of us purchase toothpaste which contains fluoride, but not everyone knows that this basic ingredient is or how it works. In fact, fluoride is the principal agent in modern toothpaste and can help with a wide range of oral health. In addition to being recommended by your dentist, fluoride has other benefits for your all round well-being. Let's examine the role of fluoride in keeping your body healthy in a bit more detail.
Cavity Repair
When your teeth develop small holes due to small levels of decay, these are referred to as cavities. Starting off too small to see with the naked eye, cavities can soon develop into major problems that need to be filled by your dentist. However, this sort of action can be prevented if fluoride is applied to your teeth regularly. Fluoride acts to harden the enamel of your teeth and will even make it grow back. The application of fluoride to teeth can be done professionally, but most people do it for themselves by brushing their teeth frequently with a fluoride toothpaste. Toothpaste is carefully developed to offer just the right amount of this substance each time you brush.
Teeth Growth
So far as children are concerned, healthy tooth growth is maintained by brushing with fluoride a couple of times daily. As well as helping with cavities – just as it does with adults – teeth will grow better if children have a reasonable level of exposure to fluoride. As adult teeth develop in the mouths of children, they will push the so-called baby teeth out. Only when the child in question has sufficient minerals in their diet – including fluoride – will the adult teeth grown big and strong enough to do this naturally. For this reason, fluoride has been added to drinking water in many places of the world in order to back up the good work done by brushing.
Healthy Bones
The maintenance of healthy trabecular bones in your body is not down to fluoride alone – it can help to consume other minerals like calcium, too – but it is an important factor to consider. Bones need to regenerate themselves in adults even though growing is no longer required. For children, it can be even more important as bones develop within the body. Without sufficient fluoride, growth may be slower than would otherwise be the case. Indeed, a lack of fluoride can lead to bones not repairing properly from common problems, such as fractures or breakages. However, some scientific studies into fluoride consumption in mice have shown that different responses in biomineralisation are possible. Therefore, fluoride alone should not be consumed to improve bone recovery, but as part of a rounded and healthy diet.
For more information or advice, contact a local dentist.
