In the 1960s, a movement spread across America where many communities voted to include fluoride in their water supplies to strengthen and protect the teeth of their residents. The process of adding fluoride to water is called “fluoridation”. Today, 29 of 30 of the U.S. largest cities fluoridate their water supply, and about two thirds of the U.S. population overall has access to fluoridated public water.

If consumed in large quantities, fluoride can cause a condition called fluorosis in children. Symptoms include white streaks on the teeth in mild cases or brown stains and broken enamel where the condition is more severe. For adults with fully developed teeth, fluorosis is not a risk. Fortunately, for the health and safety of our children’s teeth, the Centers for Disease Control allows a limit of 0.7 milligrams of fluoride for every 1 liter of water. According to the CDC, even when factoring in the average exposure to other sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste, fluoride treatments or food sources, this level of exposure is helpful in both treating tooth decay and avoiding fluorosis.

If your teeth are prone to decay, you can call Dr. Edmon R. Hutchison at Royse City Dental Care in Royse City, Texas at 972-636-2417 for a fluoride treatment. We are trained to use fluoride to meet your specific needs. Let us help you protect and strengthen your smile.

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–Keep up on oral hygiene: One of the best ways to avoid tooth decay is by cleaning your smile twice each day. Make sure you brush your teeth every morning and night for two minutes each time. Try to scrub each tooth in your smile and brush for two minutes each time. To complete the cleaning job, make sure to floss and rinse at night before you go to bed. Doing these things will help you keep your smile in pristine condition.

–Visit your dentist: It’s very important that you visit Dr. Edmon R. Hutchison every six months for a routine cleaning and checkup. This treatment will clean the harmful particles away, which will help you prevent tooth decay. The treatment will also involve a fluoride treatment, which will strengthen your tooth enamel and give it the ability to fight tooth decay-causing substances.

–Consider dental sealants: Dental sealants are beneficial shells that protect your back teeth from tooth decay and other dental issues. They are wafer-thin shells that are painted onto your teeth and then hardened. They will keep the bacteria in your mouth from having direct access to your tooth enamel.

–Take advantage of fluoride: Fluoride is a beneficial mineral that strengthens your teeth. This is why you need to take advantage of it as much as possible. In addition to the fluoride treatment provided at our office, you should brush with fluoride toothpaste and drink fluoridated water as much as possible.

–Eat tooth-healthy foods: It’s best to have a balanced and healthy diet and avoid consuming sugary products as much as possible. Sugar can attack your smile and create tooth decay. It’s also helpful if you avoid eating acidic foods and beverages. Acid can wear away your tooth enamel, which is called enamel erosion.

If you do these things, you’ll be on the right track toward a strong and successful smile free from tooth decay. To learn more about tooth decay in Royse City, Texas, please call Royse City Dental Care at 972-636-2417 at your earliest convenience. We are more than happy to give you the information you need so you can be more successful in preventing cavities!

The post How Can I Prevent Tooth Decay? first appeared on Royse City Dental Care.