Fluoride Treatments
pediatricians recommend that your child receive regular fluoride treatments.
Rates of early childhood tooth decay have been dropping over the past twenty years, largely in part because of a single under-appreciated element, fluoride. Fluoride is a mineral that can be found in all naturally occurring water sources, including the ocean. However, depending on where you live, your local water might be fluoridated, helping your entire family to gain the benefits of this powerful mineral. In fact, of the more than 300 million US citizens, over 210 million people have access to fluoridated water.
Fortunately, you can receive the benefits of fluoride even if you do not live in a place where the water is fluoridated. Treatments offered by Smile Time Kids can help your child’s teeth to stay healthy and strong. Research has shown that the teeth development period is when the teeth are most susceptible to fluoride. That is why pediatricians recommend that your child receive regular fluoride treatments from the time they are 6 months old to the time they are 16 years old.
The entire staff at Smile Time Kids LOVES children. We enjoy their budding personalities and their constant search for answers. We are a compassionate, caring, and patient team when working with your child. Their young smiles are important to us. Call us today at 765-373-3100 with any questions you have regarding your child or stop by Smile Time Kids at 1002 Oak Drive, Richmond, IN, 47374.
We are a compassionate, caring, and patient team when working with your child. Their young smiles are important to us.
Call 765-373-3100 or contact our office today via online contact form. Our office is located at 1002 Oak Drive, Richmond, IN 47374. Let us help keep your child healthy together.
Benefits of Pediatric Fluoride Treatments
Here are some benefits of fluoride treatments, and how to incorporate fluoride into your child’s daily dental hygiene routine.
- Strengthens the Enamel on a Microscopic Level- One of the biggest benefits of fluoride is that it strengthens your child’s dental enamel on a molecular level. By having your child ingest fluoride or by having their teeth treated with fluoride, their teeth become naturally resistant to problems like decay, cracks, and chips. Additionally, since fluoride helps the teeth to look healthier, your child can enjoy smiling without worrying about how their teeth look.
- Helps Teeth to Remineralize- When oral bacteria are allowed to grow in the mouth, they create acids that dissolve dental enamel. However, fluoride treatments help the teeth to remineralize, or heal from dental decay. As fluoride treatments are administered, they encourage the teeth to replace their lost minerals with minerals present in saliva, and the repairs become stronger than the original area was before the enamel was lost. Although fluoride treatments cannot completely repair deep cavities, they are instrumental in slowing decay and resolving small problems.
- Inhibits Oral Bacteria- Fluoride treatments also make it harder for bacteria to grow, multiply, and adhere to the teeth, reducing the damage that these pathogens can cause.
- It is Safe and Effective- Although many studies have criticized the safety of fluoride, the CDC has not found any association between fluoride use and bone fractures, Downs Syndrome, IQ problems, allergies, kidney problems, or Alzheimer Disease later in life. If patients of any age adhere to doctor’s orders regarding the use of fluoride, the mineral is safe and effective.
- Fluoride Will Save You Money- Because fluoride is so effective at disrupting tooth decay, it can save you and your family a lot of money on dental care. In fact, when communities started adopting water fluoridation nationwide, instances of tooth decay in children the age of 12 year dropped by a staggering 68%.
Incorporating Fluoride into Your Child's Dental Hygiene
- Update Your Child’s Toothpaste- When you start brushing your child’s teeth, make sure that their toothpaste contains fluoride. Children younger than 2 should use a drop of toothpaste about the size of a grain of rice, while children between the ages of 3 and older should be using a dollop about the size of a pea.
- Offer your Child Tap Water- If you live in an area where the water is fluoridated, offer your child tap water instead of filtered water. It is also safe to use fluoridated water to mix baby formula.
- Consider Fluoride Drops or Tablets- Fluoride is available in two main forms, topical and systemic. Systemic fluoride is ingested as a pill or as flavored medication drops, while topical fluoride is applied to the exterior of the teeth. One popular version of topical fluoride is given to children in drops or tablets. Since fluoride is nearly tasteless and these supplements contain sweeteners, children typically accept drops or tablets very well.
- Fluoride Varnish as an Option- Fluoride varnishes are mixtures of highly concentrated fluoride that is mixed with a small amount of non-toxic resin. This varnish is painted onto your child’s teeth, reducing their exposure, and allowing the fluoride to soak into the teeth for 24 hours. Varnishes are completely clear and painted directly onto the teeth, and your child will not be able to lick it off. After the varnish hardens, it allows the teeth to remineralize, and the substance can be brushed off between 4 and 12 hours after the treatment.
Make an Appointment for Your Child Today!
The American Dental Association recommends fluoride treatments twice a year for your child's teeth to keep them healthy and strong. Smile Time Kids would like to share the recommendations of The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. They suggest bringing your child in for their first dental appointment as soon as their first tooth erupts or by the time your child is one, whichever occurs first. We will work with your child and treat them like family. We love happy and healthy children. Afterwards, children should visit at normal intervals just like you would schedule your own dental checkups. Call 765-373-3100 today to make an appointment with Smile Time Kids. Our office is located at 1002 Oak Drive, Richmond, IN 47374. Let us keep your child healthy together with a fluoride treatment.
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Your child should see the dentist at the age of 1 year, or within 6 months of the appearance of his or her first tooth. A quick checkup will be done and x-rays taken to ensure the baby teeth are growing properly. If your child has multiple teeth already, they'll be counted and quickly cleaned.