Blog Post
Facts you should know about fluoride
Dr Gordon Tam • May 21, 2020
We use fluoride everyday. It is important to our body. Do you know what is fluoride and where we can commonly find it?
Functions of fluoride
Fluoride is a natural mineral that is found in our body (bones and teeth), and the natural environments such as water, soil, plants, rocks and even in the air.
Fluoride is important to us especially to our teeth as it helps to strengthen the most outer layer, the enamel and fights against cavities. The most common products you used with fluoride in it are our water (in SIngapore’s context) and toothpastes.
- Prevent demineralization caused by the loss of minerals by strengthening the structure of tooth to prevent bacteria on tooth surface from ‘eating away’ the enamel
- Direct application of fluoride to reduce tooth sensitivity
- Increase the rate of remineralization
- Helps to fight against acid produced by plaque, blocking harmful enzymes that weakens the tooth enamel
Who needs fluoride?
All of us need fluoride. Depending on dietary habits and age, we require different quantities of fluoride ‘consumption’. As our public water supply has fluoride in it, it contributes to our consumption.
However, for some of us who tend to get cavities easier than others, your dentist may suggest regular fluoride treatment or prescribe mouth rinse that contains higher concentration of fluoride than those sold over-the-counters.
Professional fluoride treatment
Usually we only get to find out we needed more fluoride than others from our dentist. They are the right person to advise how much fluoride we need and how we can get it. During a dental visit, the dentist will check on our dental history and current oral conditions. Based on these, they can determine the application of fluoride treatment, and how often we need to receive the treatment.
After the fluoride treatment, avoid drinking or eating for 30 minutes.
What is Fluorosis?
Fluorosis is a condition that affects the tooth appearance. It is caused by the over exposure to fluoride at the young age, especially before the age of eight where most of our permanent teeth are being formed.
When our baby teeth start to drop and adult teeth emerge, the adult teeth will seem to appear slightly discolored and look different from those who do not have fluorosis.
Fluorosis usually occurs with over consumption of fluoride and toothpaste is one of the most common culprits. Even if the child knows how to spit out toothpaste with fluoride, the fluoride will be absorbed through daily brushing.
The over accumulation of fluoride in a child’s body through swallowing of toothpaste will affect the adult teeth that are still embedded in the gums before they emerge.
In some more severe cases, we can see the discoloration of teeth from yellow to shades of brown and the surfaces of the teeth are uneven, with pits noticed on the teeth.
Apart from fluorosis affecting the appearance of the teeth and contributing to the overall aesthetic appearance, it is not a disease.
What is water fluoridation?
Water fluoridation is adding and adjusting a controlled amount of fluoride to the public water supply. The main objective is to reduce tooth decay. The fluoridated water is effective to prevent cavities.
Tooth decay is one of the main health concerns in countries around the world. Some countries do not have public water fluoridation, hence resulting in higher rates of developing cavities among the population.
Studies have shown that since the 1950s in the United States of America, tooth decay rate has declined due to the introduction of water fluoridation to the public water supply.
Fluoride is good for us at the right quantity
We are fortunate to have clean public water supply and the water has adjusted quantities of fluoride in it to help us fight cavities. With proper diet and good oral hygiene, we should absorb sufficient fluoride.
To maintain a healthy set of teeth and gums, apart from good oral habits, we need regular professional help to do routine dental checkup and cleaning. It helps us to detect any oral issues early.
For more information and consultation, please contact Smile Design Dental Practice at +65 6463 8588.
To serve you better, we are available by Appointment Only.
Please contact us to schedule for an appointment.
Why would you drink lemon water? In recent years, lemon water is widely accepted for the benefits that many believed to have. Lemon contains antibacterial, antioxidants properties and it is packed with the essential minerals and vitamins that are helpful for our bodies. It can help to reduce the risk of health issues, boost kidney and skin conditions, fight infections and improve our overall well-being. It is believed that when adding lemon to water, it creates a healthy concoction that provides electrolytes and hydration that our body needs. Lemon water is simply adding freshly juiced lemon to water. The ratio of lemon to water and to consume hot or cold is entirely up to the individual. Such simple concoction has created a big hype among the health-conscious group of people. People who tried many methods turned to lemon water for solution. Those who wanted to slim down but do not like to exercise may believe that as lemon is acidic, it will help to curb their appetite, burns fats and eventually slim down without needing to do much exercises. However, lemon water should be used in combination with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle to obtain results. Naturopaths believe in using natural remedies or solutions to solve their health issues. The choice of lemon is vital. You should be using organic lemons to make sure that the source of lemon is of high quality and not contaminated by any pesticides. As the preparation of lemon water is easy and lemon is conveniently sold, many people see this as a healthy beverage they can have easily.
Why does drinking lemon water become a trend? Lemon water is simply adding freshly juiced lemon to water. The ratio of lemon to water and to consume hot or cold is entirely up to the individual. Such simple concoction has created a big hype among the health-conscious group of people. It is believed that when adding lemon to water, it creates a healthy concoction that provides electrolytes and hydration that our body needs. Those who want to slim down but do not like to exercise may believe that as lemon is acidic, it will help to curb their appetite, burn fats and eventually slim down without needing to do much exercise. However, lemon water should be used in combination with a healthy diet and an active lifestyle to obtain results. People who tried many (weight loss) methods had turned to lemon water for solution. Naturopaths believe in using natural remedies or solutions to solve their health issues. The choice of lemon is vital. You should be using organic lemons to make sure that the source of lemon is of high quality and not contaminated by any pesticides. As the preparation of lemon water is easy and lemon is conveniently sold, many people see this as a healthy beverage they can have easily.
Apart from a nice set of teeth, having a set of healthy and pink looking gums are as important.
The food trap is one of the most common complains we hear. It happens during eating when food got trapped in between your teeth. Sometimes you can remove them, but most of the time you can’t do it without flossing. This food trap may eventually lead to tooth decay or gum inflammation if left untreated. You may have experienced some embarrassing moments where a piece of salad green is trapped in between your teeth are visible to others but you may not even notice it. It can be annoying and creating discomfort when there is a big chunk of steak trapped at the back of your teeth. Apart from the awkward moments of food trap, sometimes when the food trap gets to the gums, it can irritate the gums, causing your gums to swell and sore. Although it is common, it is not normal. There are many contributing reasons for the food trap issue.
It must be exciting to prepare yourself to get pregnant. While many women go for medical checkups, it may not occur to you that dental health is as important too. At Smile Design Dental Practice, we pay special attention to our pregnant patients as well as those who are planning for a baby. Hormonal changes are expected during pregnancy. However we will not know how much it will affect you, in terms of overall well-being, appetite, mood swings, body changes and oral condition. It is common for pregnant women to experience swollen and bleeding gums. If you already have such issues before you get pregnant, chances for these issues to magnify during pregnancy are much higher.
Almost all of us needed a dental filling at some point of time in our lives. A dental filling is a restoration work done to our tooth that might have chipped off or decay. There are several choices of materials used to replace the partial missing tooth structure. Dental fillings will deteriorate over time, due to wear and tear, bad habits, or even simply they were not properly done in the first place.
Many thought routine dental appointments are merely just about cleaning teeth. You are only half right! We do more than just a routine dental cleaning. You understand the importance of maintaining good oral habits at home and religiously come for your routine dental appointment to get the professional maintenance done. We are here to monitor and update your oral condition.
What are you afraid of to see a dentist? We want to understand more about what are the most common dental fears among you and me. In order to address these fears, we must first know what they are. Fear of the Unknown Fear of Pain Bill Shock We commonly hear from our patients these few fears that are holding them back from making a dental appointment or even to cancel one at the last minute!
Your choice of toothpaste may be different from your family members. Do not worry about being odd here. You are not alone. It is only right for you to find the correct toothpaste that suits your needs and oral condition. Likewise if you have young children at home. Their toothpaste is totally different from adults! We often place emphasis on selecting the correct toothbrushes for ourselves and our family members. It is important to get toothbrushes with soft bristles, so that we can clean more thoroughly, reaching most of the surfaces of our teeth. The selection of toothpastes is equally important to compliment the importance of maintaining routine oral hygiene.
What is a dental floss? A dental floss is a thin cord of filaments that we used to remove any food stuck in between our teeth and areas that a toothbrush is unable to reach. The most common and popular dental floss in the market, and often most recommended by dentists is the one that is wax coated. As it is wax coated, it is more gentle on our gums and leaves a minty taste after flossing.