Dentist Pasadena Texas:
Decay is caused by bacteria. The bacteria in your mouth eats sugars for energy. The bacteria waste is an acid. This acid will slowly eat away tooth structure. Brushing, Flossing, and Fluoride make the Holy Trinity of tooth protection. For this blog article lets examine Fluoride more closely.
Advantages of Fluoride Treatment
- The fluoride ion binds to the enamel and creates a stronger surface. Normal tooth structure is made out of hydroxyapatite but is changed to more acid-resistant fluorapatite when fluoride is present.
- Small Cavities are stopped and repaired with fluoride.
- Fluoride has anti-bacterial properties by lowering the bacteria’s ability to stick to the teeth.
Tooth decay happens when bacteria in the mouth (called “plaque”) break down sugars in food and turn them into acid that hurts the teeth’s hard enamel surfaces.
The good news is that there are ways to stop cavities that have been shown to work. For example, adding fluoride to the drinking water in a town is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to keep kids and adults from getting cavities.
In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) names water fluoridation as one of the “10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.”
How does fluoride work? What is it?
Fluoride is a natural element that can be found in rocks and dirt. Most water also has a small amount of fluoride in it. Fluoride stops tooth decay by making teeth stronger and less likely to break down when acid hits them. It also helps to stop or slow down the process of decay.
When the right amount of fluoride is in the water, it helps keep teeth from getting cavities. Because of this, a lot of public water systems add more fluoride. This is called “fluoridation.”
Dr. Nugent is a leader in Cosmetic, General, Implant and Sedation Dentistry. His practice is at 3421 Burke Rd, Ste A, Pasadena Texas. Dr. Nugent was voted Best Dentist multiple times by the Pasadena Texas Citizens newspaper. Dr. Nugent welcomes patients from Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, League City, Webster, Clear Lake and Houston Texas.
