No 5 (October) - Fluoride.
For many years now, studies have been proving that using fluoride in our daily routines can reduce the prevalence of dental caries.
Fluoride can help strengthen the tooth by making the enamel more resistant to decay. It can also help to remineralise early carious lesions before they turn into a cavity.
Fluoride is available in many forms:
- Fluoridated water (both naturally and artificially): Fluoride is often added to water in areas with reduced natural fluoride content. Your local water board can provide more information on the level in the water where you live.
- Tooth pastes: Most good toothpastes will contain fluoride. For best protection it is recommended to use a high fluoride tooth paste such as that found in Colgate total at 1400ppm. The amount of fluoride does vary. The amount present can be found in the active ingredients, listed as ppm (parts per million).
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Toothpastes containing higher fluoride levels are available on prescription from the dentist. These contain 2800 ppm and 5000 ppm. This is recommended for high risk patients.
- Mouthwashes: To obtain optimum fluoride from a mouthwash it is recommended to be used at a different time to brushing. A recommended mouthwash is fluoriguard, this contains 0.05% sodium fluoride.
- Fluoride varnish: Is applied in surgery by your dentist or dental hygienist. This is a varnish containing 26,600 ppm. It is recommended for this to be applied twice yearly for all children under 7 (four times yearly for higher risk patients) and twice yearly for at risk adult patients. For more information about this please consult your dentist or hygienist.
Please see your dentist or hygienist for any information regarding the use of fluoride.
More information can be found on the department of health website, delivering better oral health.
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