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When it comes to dental health, you’ll see that fluoride is always promoted as a way of protecting your teeth. It’s used in a wide array of toothpastes, mouthwashes and more, and is even added to drinking water in the US. As such, it’s considered to be a good way of protecting teeth and reducing the need for dental work, tooth removal, and other procedures such as dental implants Boynton Beach FL.

However, there are also some concerns about fluoride and how it affects your teeth. Here is all the information you need, to make an informed decision. 

What Is Fluoride?

The first thing to know is what fluoride is, exactly. It’s actually form of the chemical element fluorine, and is found naturally in many structures. You’ll also find it naturally occurring in tissues that have calcium, such as bones and teeth. 

How Fluoride Is Used

There are many ways that fluoride is used right now, in dental health and health in general. Its most common use is in preventing cavities, which lead to tooth loss and the need for dental implants Boynton Beach Florida. 

Fluoride is known for protecting your teeth from the bacteria that cause plaque. It also helps encourage the formation of new bone tissue. That makes it helpful not only for protecting existing teeth, but helping with dental implants Boynton Beach FL. With better bone formation, the fusion between the anchors and your jaw bone is much stronger. 

This is the most common use for fluoride, and by avoiding cavities you’ll also see that you avoid the dental implant cost in Boynton Beach. There are some other ways that fluoride is used too, although these aren’t known to be as effective: 

•	When used along with tin, fluoride can possibly help reduce bleeding and swelling of gums thanks to gingivitis. 
•	In some areas, fluoride is added to the water supply to help with dental health. There’s also the option to use fluoride supplements. 
•	There has been research into the use of fluoride to treat osteoporosis. As you saw with dental implants Boynton Beach Florida, it can be used to promote new bone growth. In this case, it will help improve bone density, although it’s not clear if it helps prevent fractures. 

The Side Effects Of Using Fluoride

While fluoride is typically safe, to the extent that you’ll see it used in a wide array of dental health products, it can still produce side effects. That’s important to know when it comes to your dental health. 

If you are taking fluoride by mouth to protect your teeth and avoid the potential dental implant cost Boynton Beach, there can be side effects. These include weakened bones and ligaments, as well as muscle weakness and issues with your nervous system. 

While that sounds worrying, it’s worth remembering that in the vast majority of cases you won’t be taking nearly enough fluoride to cause these issues. Most people are only ingesting fluoride through drinking water, and the addition of fluoride to drinking water is strictly controlled. As such, you shouldn’t suffer any issues. 

As for dental products, it’s typically safe to use fluoride in toothpastes and mouthwashes. Again, if you were to swallow a large amount of it it could cause problems, but its very unlikely you would do so. When it comes to small children, you will need to control how much toothpaste they use and supervise their brushing to avoid these issues. 

One of the most common side effects of fluoride use is fluorosis. This is the discoloration of teeth thanks to the chemical. If this happens, you’ll see spots on the teeth that can range on color from white to dark brown. 

This is most commonly seen in children under the age of 6, whose teeth are still developing. Instilling good habits for toothbrushing and ensuring they don’t swallow toothpaste is important, to avoid this happening. It will also ensure that their adult teeth are healthy, and you’ll help them avoid the need for dental implants Boynton Beach FL later down the line. 

If you’re an adult with the condition, your dentist may look into ways to remove the discoloration. In some cases, bleaching will help solve it. If not, then covering the issue with veneers or dental bonding will help. Dental implants Boynton Beach Florida would only be considered if the tooth had to be removed for other reasons. 

Other Benefits Of Fluoride

While the main benefit of fluoride is the ability to help prevent cavities, there are other ways in which it can help you with your dental health. For example, if you suffer from dry mouth, it’s harder for bacteria to be washed away and that’s when cavities can start. Fluoride will help prevent this from happening. 

If you have a family history of tooth decay, then extra fluoride can help here too. Your dentist can administer fluoride treatments, and that can help reduce the chance you have to pay the dental implant cost in Boynton Beach. 

What’s really interesting is that it can help reduce the risk of cavities in those who use removable dentures, bridges and braces. This isn’t a benefit if you have dental implants Boynton Beach FL, as your denture is secured to your jawbone. 

There are lots of reasons why fluoride is a helpful tool in dental health. Like all tools there are some side effects, but if fluoride is used correctly it won’t be a problem.