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How Safe Is Fluoride for Your Dental and Overall Health?

BY East Cobb Family Dentistry

Fluoride is important for controlling tooth decay. The bacteria that is found in the mouth combines with sugars to form acids. These acids facilitate rapid tooth decay.

Why Fluoride Is Important?

Fluoride strengthens the enamel of the tooth. This way it prevents grooves from forming on your teeth, and when they do form they are often very shallow. Without these grooves, plaque is less likely to develop. In case you have plague, it becomes much easier to remove.Children may also be prone to it if they use significantly more toothpaste than the recommended amount. Studies suggest that children that live in areas where water is not fluoridated are 5 times more prone to tooth decay

Safety

Fluoride is safe if taken in the right amounts.The optimal amount of fluoride that you need in the body is between 0.05 to 0.07 milligrams. For children, the amount of toothpaste needed is less than what most parents use. The recommended amount to place on your child’s toothbrush should be the size of the child’s fingernail.The amount of fluoride taken is what makes the difference. Too little or no fluoride will increase the risk of tooth decay. Too much of it will cause dental fluorosis.Children under the age of 7 are the most susceptible to dental fluorosis. Therefore care should be taken not to exceed the recommended amounts of fluoride. The optimal amount of fluoride that is needed is not always easy to determine.

Other Sources of Fluoride

There are other sources of fluoride that people often forget about. Fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and grains have fluoride, but the amounts are very low that they is nothing to be concerned about. What you need to watch out for are processed foods. These foods are processed using public water system, which contain significant amounts of fluoride.Flavoured drinks such as sodas and carbonate drinks have more fluoride content than solid foods which are processed. Children under 7 are much more susceptible to fluorosis. You therefore need to keep children away from these drinks as much as possible. Not only do they increase the amount of fluoride in the body, they are also bad for the child’s overall health.

Conclusion

There have been many reports about the dangers of fluoride circulating online. The general consensus among experts is small amounts of fluoride are safe and help prevent tooth decay. Studies from around the world have concluded it is safe, and is now part of public water system in major cities around the world.Contact East Cobb Family Dentistry for the Best Dental Service, Conveniently located on Johnson Ferry Rd,2969 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30062

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