For over 70 years, fluoride has been known to benefit dental health by reducing tooth decay. It is a mineral that occurs naturally in water, rocks, plants and soil.

Tooth decay starts when acids attack the surface of the tooth. These acids are a natural byproduct of the food we eat. What fluoride does is to quickly repair or remineralize the damage caused by acids before it can deepen and cause cavities.

We use fluoride in two ways to fight tooth decay. The first is called “topical”. Topical means applied to a surface, like you apply sunscreen topically to your skin. The most obvious topical application of fluoride is in the toothpaste we use. When you use a mouthwash that contains fluoride, or a toothpaste or other dental products, or even when you drink water that contains fluoride, you are applying it topically to the surface of your teeth.

The other way we take fluoride is called “systemic”. This is where, for example, a public water supply is treated with fluoride. When we drink the water we ingest the fluoride into our systems. That way fluoride works from the inside. While our teeth are forming inside our gums, the fluoride starts working to strengthen the enamel on the surfaces. In the Unites States, approximately 75% of us drink water that has been treated with fluoride. Fluoride taken systemically like this also provides a topical application because our saliva now contains fluoride. So fluoride is constantly being applied to the surfaces of our teeth.

The benefits of fluoride are well proven. Studies show that the best results occur when we take it both systemically and topically. It is believed that this method reduces cavities by 25%.  The World Health Organization, the American Dental Association and dozens of international health bodies agree with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who declared that fluoridation of the public water supply is “one of 10 great public health achievements” in preventing tooth decay.

Find out more at ada.org (Miami, Dental)