How Fluoride Affects Your Child’s Oral Health

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Having children comes with many responsibilities. While controlling every aspect of their life is difficult, teaching them healthy habits early on in life can bring them lifelong benefits.

By teaching them good oral hygiene habits, you can make sure that your child’s oral health remains excellent throughout their lifetime.

Following good advice, you must have already taught your child to brush twice every day and floss daily, but did you know that this isn’t enough to ensure that their oral health stays great?

Giving your child enough fluoride is equally important in protecting your young one’s teeth from tooth decay and early fallout.

What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a substance that naturally occurs in water and provides nourishment to your child’s teeth. It helps in protecting the teeth from cavities and keeps the teeth healthy.

The bacteria in your kid’s mouth feed on the acids present in the sugary foods and drinks that they consume. The bacteria then form plaque in their oral cavity and damages their tooth enamel.

The fluoride acts as a shield between the tooth enamel and the bacteria and protects your child’s teeth from decaying. It can’t repair cavities, but it can prevent new cavities from forming by protecting the teeth from decaying.

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So how much fluoride should you give to your kids?

If you live in an area where your water supply has no traces of fluoride, you’ll need to discuss possible options with your dentist.

Children under the age of 6 months don’t need any fluoride supplements.

Fluoride toothpaste is also a good source of fluoride for your kid’s teeth. It helps in strengthening the exposed roots and sensitive spots on their teeth.

How do I monitor the use of fluoride toothpaste in children?

The American Dental Association doesn’t recommend any toothpaste that doesn’t contain fluoride. Hence, all the types of toothpaste that have the ADA Seal of Acceptance have fluoride.

Dental experts recommend using a very small amount of fluoride toothpaste to brush your child’s teeth when they first start to appear. The use of a soft-bristled brush is also advised.

By the age of 3, the amount of toothpaste you use can be increased; a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste should be used to brush your child’s teeth to protect them from dental abrasion.

 

Your child’s first visit to the dentist should happen when they’re as young as six months and have just started growing out teeth. At Rapha Dental LLC, we have a team of trained family dentists who provide a one-stop-solution to your family’s dental needs in Cinnaminson, NJ. Contact us today at (856) 829-8668 to book an appointment or visit our website on their family and cosmetic dentistry Cinnaminson NJ.