Fluoride

At Glen Ellyn Dentistry, we strive to provide the best preventive dentistry available. We offer a wide array of treatments and services all designed to promote good oral health by preventing oral health problems from occurring. One of the most powerful tools in a well-rounded preventive dental care plan is fluoride. 

What Is Fluoride?

Fluoride is a mineral that, along with calcium and phosphate, is integral in the makeup of your teeth and tooth enamel. 

What Are the Benefits of Fluoride?

Fluoride benefits the teeth by helping to prevent tooth decay and cavities. To understand how fluoride can help your teeth in this way, you first need to understand a little about how tooth decay occurs. 

Our mouths are filled with bacteria, much of which is contained in plaque (the sticky, white biofilm that clings to our teeth). These bacteria feast on the sugars and carbohydrates in our diets. When they consume these foods, they produce acid as a byproduct. Our teeth are then exposed to the acids produced by the bacteria, which break down our tooth enamel (the hard, protective outer layer of our teeth). 

As the tooth enamel breaks down, it decays, becoming soft and eventually forming dental caries (also called dental cavities). Cavities can lead to pain, sensitivity, and more advanced infections if not addressed. 

Fluoride can help fortify the teeth through the remineralization of the tooth enamel. We can consume fluoride (often in city tap water or supplements). This fluoride then ends up in our saliva and remineralizes our tooth enamel as our saliva washes over the surfaces of our teeth. We can also apply fluoride topically via professional fluoride treatments, in fluoride toothpaste, or in mouthwash containing fluoride. 

Fluoride Toothpaste vs. Fluoride Treatments

For daily remineralization, we strongly encourage our patients to use toothpaste formulations that contain fluoride and have been approved by the American Dental Association. 

Some patients can also benefit from receiving professional fluoride treatments in our office. The primary difference between professional treatments and at-home fluoride products is the amount of fluoride contained in the product. Professional treatments contain high, professional-grade concentrations of fluoride that are only safe to use in a professional setting. These treatments, however, provide a deep-remineralizing treatment to the teeth, helping to address (and sometimes reverse) tooth decay while minimizing tooth sensitivity that can occur due to worn tooth enamel and/or gum recession. 

What To Expect During a Professional Fluoride Treatment

Professional fluoride treatments are quick, painless, and non-invasive. They are available in a few different forms, including gels and trays, foams and trays, and a sticky varnish that can be painted on the teeth and left in place for the rest of the day. 

Fluoride treatments are also quite convenient to receive, as they do not require a separate dental appointment and can be easily incorporated into your routine dental cleaning and examination or another type of visit to our office. 

Comprehensive Preventive Dentistry in Glen Ellyn, Illinois

At Glen Ellyn Dentistry, we are proud to help our patients achieve and maintain optimal oral health by providing comprehensive general and preventive dentistry services. In addition to fluoride treatments, we also offer dental sealants, routine oral hygiene exams, and oral cancer screenings, all designed to keep our patients as healthy as possible. 

To learn more about the benefits of professional fluoride treatments or to request a preventive dental care appointment, we welcome you to contact Glen Ellyn Dentistry at 630-942-0727 today.

Get Started Today!

We look forward to welcoming new patients into our office and seeing our existing patients again. To request an appointment, we welcome you to contact our office at 630-942-0727 or complete the appointment request form on our website.

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