Fluoride Treatments: A Few Things to Know

If you’ve heard about fluoride at a dental office recently, it’s probably because this naturally-occurring mineral plays a big role in preventing tooth decay. Fluoride works by strengthening tooth enamel and making teeth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque, bacteria and sugars in the mouth. Whether or not your child needs extra fluoride depends on a variety of factors (heredity being one of them), but overall there is a pretty well-established correlation between more fluoride and less tooth decay.

How to Get Additional Fluoride When Needed

There are two ways that your child can get additional fluoride: in topical form, or systemic. Topical fluoride is applied directly to the surface of the tooth, in a variety of ways, including mouthwash, toothpaste, or even fluoride treatment at the dentist’s office. Systemic, or swallowed, fluoride includes fluoridated water and dietary supplements.

If your child is at a higher risk of developing tooth decay, they may be a good candidate for an in-office topical fluoride treatment, since the fluoride used by the dentist is of a stronger concentration than that used in toothpastes or mouthwashes.

How Fluoride Treatement Works

The treatment, which is usually applied as a gel, foam or varnish, only takes a few minutes to apply using a cotton swab. Another way fluoride might be applied is as a rinse placed in a tray and held in place for several minutes. Either way it is applied, the patient is asked not to eat or drink anything for at least half an hour to allow the fluoride to help repair areas of decay. Depending on the state of the child’s oral health, fluoride treatments can be recommended every 3, 6 or 12 months.

Whatever type of treatment is recommended, a good rule of thumb is to ensure that any fluoride treatment your family may use is recommended by the American Dental Association and has their Seal of Acceptance, which means it has been carefully examined and meets criteria for effectiveness and safety. 

Tip of the Week

Sip soft drinks and other beverages through a straw positioned towards the back of the mouth. This will limit the amount of time the beverage is in contact with your teeth. Your dental hygienist will thank you! :)

Yes, Coffee Might Actually Be Good for Your Teeth

If you have a desire to stain your teeth, consuming multiple cups of coffee a day is a sure way to get you there. That much you likely already know. What you may not know, though, is that drinking coffee in moderation can actually help you protect your teeth,  because of coffee’s unique anti-bacterial properties. And, coffee isn’t alone in this regard. Tea, too, has some pretty marvelous properties, despite its propensity to stain teeth as well! So, if you’re a fan of a cuppa’ warm joe or tea in the morning, read on … you’ve got one more reason not to give it up!

The main reason coffee and tea are good for you? Antioxidants.

Scientists believe antioxidants (polyphenols and catechins, specifically) help reduce inflammation in the body, aid in reducing cholesterol and high blood pressure, and protect against heart attack and stroke. They also help reduce inflammation in your mouth. Find ‘em in fruit, vegetables, red wine, coffee, and chocolate to name a few.

If you do want a good reason to keep drinking coffee and tea, though, the trick is to consume each without cream and sugar (sugar and cream feed bad bacteria). You may also want to enjoy them “warm” as opposed to excessively hot. There is some speculation about how the temperature of your beverage can affect the lining of your esophagus. Visit this article for more on that concern.

Fluoride, trigonelline and caffeine

• Tea: The benefit? Fluoride!
  We all know that at prescribed and monitored levels, fluoride is good for our teeth. But did you know black tea contains fluoride because of how its leaves absorb fluoride from the soil? More, it seems, than the plain glass of water coming out of your faucet, even! This, of course, can have good and bad complications for your teeth. If you drink from a non-fluoridated water source, ask your dentist or physician if they think it may be beneficial to drink a bit of tea from time to time. Over-consuming black tea, though, has been shown to affect rates of skeletal fluorosis.
  
  So, as with anything in life, moderation is key. And any time you want to start doing more of something you’re not doing already, from ingesting new foods to ramping up the exercise, always consult with your family physician first.
• Coffee: The benefit? Trigonelline!
  Trigonelline is what’s known as an alkaloid. And this alkaloid appears to be of specific benefit to our teeth. It’s found in its highest levels in Arabica coffee beans, and research suggests it interferes with cavity-causing bacteria’s ability to adhere itself to tooth enamel. Research is ongoing, but it does seem to be another feather-in-the-cap of your morning “joe.”
• Tea and Coffee: The benefit? Caffeine!
  Ah, caffeine – beloved and vilified. Yes, we know. And, we know that caffeine can cause some people to experience anxiety and increased stress, which could lead to teeth grinding and clenching. And that is most certainly NOT good for your teeth. Or, jaw. Or, bone structure, in general.
  
  Where caffeine is a benefit, though, is in its apparent ability to impact longevity in patients with oral cancer. And, that’s something to think about. Read up on the study yourself and make a decision that’s best for you. Recent research also suggests caffeine in coffee may help protect individuals from liver cancer as well.

SO! Everything in moderation, right? If you like a morning beverage, we hope this little primer gives you a bit more to think about!

Get Your Child's Mouth Vacation-Ready

Summer is about to burst on the scene. And with it, your "free time" will turn to "busy time" as you plan, plan, plan for your relaxing summer vacation.  So while you're thinking about where you’ll go, where you'll eat, and what you'll see along the way, don't forget to schedule your children for a visit to the dentist as well - doing so, can save you from the misery of a dental emergency that will surely spoil even the best planned getaway.

The Best Plan of Action

Now, we're pretty sure you're thinking a visit to the dentist is the last thing you want to do before vacation. Yet we’re also fairly certain that discovering a painful cavity in your child's mouth mid-trip isn't on the agenda either – especially if you’re going overseas. Can you imagine having to look for emergency dental care in some remote part of the world? Ouch. But, a quick check-up can catch a future crisis before it ever materializes, and this is one of the beautiful things about dentistry.  Imagine, for example, if you had a bone in your leg that was weak for one reason or another, and a strong impact upon that leg could cause it to break.  Nine times out of ten, you would never even know you had this issue until your leg actually broke and you were laying in the emergency room.  With dentistry, however, oral exams, x-rays and other tools allow your dentist to ferret out problems before they present themselves, and that's why visiting prior to vacation can help.

So, about a month prior to departure - or at least two weeks before you go - schedule a visit. Your dentist will explore your child's mouth for any abnormalities that could cause a problem, and identify any cavities that are close enough to the nerve to cause pain. If you're traveling by plane, air-pressure in the cabin can cause a recently drilled tooth to be overly sensitive, so you'll want to be certain to plan your visit at least a month ahead of time if you're flying.  Of course, any surgery such as the removal of wisdom teeth, should be scheduled in significant advance, and if your child wear's braces, you'll want to visit your orthodontist as well.

Visiting your dentist prior to vacation, might actually be one of the easiest things to plan this summer. Your child will depart with a fresh clean mouth, and you'll leave with the confidence that a sneaking dental emergency won't be appearing in your vacation scrapbook this year.

[REVIEW] River Pines Dental

“River Pines participated in the United Way of Hastings “Give kids a Smile” program. They offered free dental care to area kids. Thanks for your generosity!”

— Chris Koop

“Doctor Johnston and his staff go above and beyond for their patients! My children and I have been clients for years and have always been treated with our best interest in mind. In my opinion this is the best Dental practice in the twin cities and I will continue referring friends and family.”

— Joules M.

Celebrating Smiles!

Thank you to our great staff who help make Give Kids a Smile Day 2016 a success!

Still got yours?

Visit RiverPinesDental.com or call (651) 437-5340 to make an appointment!