Fluoride Facts

Fluoride is a mineral that is added to most toothpastes. The main purpose of fluoride is to reduce dental decay.

Evidence has shown that brushing twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste with a concentration of fluoride at 1000ppm for children and babies under three, and 1350ppm fluoride for adults and children over three, helps to reduce tooth decay. It is recommended that brushing is done for two minutes twice a day.

A key time when brushing should not be missed is last thing at night. Salivary flow slows down at night. Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste last thing at night is beneficial as the fluoride from the toothpaste remains around the teeth giving added protection.

A pea sized amount of toothpaste should be used for adults and children over three and a smear of toothpaste should be used for babies and children under three.

The mouth should not be rinsed out after brushing. Spitting out toothpaste and not rinsing, helps to leave a coating of fluoride on the surface of the teeth which helps to prevent tooth decay.

By spitting and not rinsing after brushing, fluoride reaches the teeth directly. It inhibits the chemical processes of the decay-producing bacteria in plaque and stabilizes minerals in the teeth, thereby preventing or slowing down the decay process. In this instance fluoride helps to reduce the damaging effect of plaque (plaque is a substance that contains bacteria and occurs on the surface of teeth) plaque can attack the tooth surface and dissolve the enamel.

When sugary foods/drinks are consumed, the plaque bacteria change the sugar into acid. This acid is harmful to the teeth and immediately begins to attack the outer surface of the tooth and causes a process known as demineralisation. Once the consumption of sugary foods/drinks is finished, the saliva in our mouths acts as a buffer for the acid and begins to repair the damage done to the surface of the teeth.

This process is known as remineralisation and may take up to an hour to complete. The presence of low levels of fluoride in the saliva encourages remineralisation, and ensures that the enamel crystals are that are laid down during remineralisation are of improved quality. Low levels of fluoride in the mouth gradually improve the strength of the tooth enamel and its ability to resist acid attack.

So there are two ways that the fluoride in toothpaste works. It reduces the loss of mineral from the tooth surface during an acid attack produced by the plaque which causes tooth decay, and it helps to repair any damage caused once the attack has finished.

For further information on fluoride please go to:
• www.fluorideinformation.com