It is a big project to teach children to get used to brushing their teeth. Fortunately, most children can get used to it in the end, sooner or later.
However, brushing teeth cannot solve all the problems. Before we could celebrate, some babies already had tooth decay.
This makes most parents upset. Although their children brush their teeth every day and look very serious, tooth decay and blackening are inevitable.
Is there any what prevention method besides brushing your teeth more actively and seriously? We understand that this is the voice of thousands of parents.
The stomatologist’s answer is this: Yes, fluoride!
Is it necessary to apply fluorine?
The preventive effect of fluorine preparations on tooth decay has been recognized. For example, according to a meta-analysis, the use of fluorine paint can reduce the risk of permanent tooth caries by 46% and deciduous tooth caries by 33% compared with the use of fluorine paint.
On the one hand, after fluoride is applied, the fluoride remaining in saliva and tooth surface can inhibit the dissolution of tooth tissue (medically called [demineralization]), and can also make it stronger (remineralization); On the other hand, fluorine can also inhibit the growth and metabolism of bacteria that cause tooth decay.
Therefore, fluorine supplement has become a very important option to prevent dental caries.
The use of fluorine includes many methods, such as:
- Adding fluorine to drinking water; Adding fluorine to diet; Use fluoride toothpaste; Use fluorine gel; Coating fluorine protective paint; Use fluorine foam, etc.
Applying fluorine protective paint to teeth, which is what we call [fluorine therapy], has become an increasingly popular anti-caries method in recent years.
Visually speaking, fluoride coating is like putting on a thin piece of clothes for teeth, providing high concentration of fluoride for local teeth in a short period of time and enhancing the anti-caries ability of teeth.
Is there an age requirement for tooth fluoride?
The relevant guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) recommend [encouraging professional fluorine treatment for all children at risk of tooth decay] and do not set a clear age limit on the use of fluorine.
In fact, as long as children can cooperate with doctors, professionals can apply fluoride to prevent teeth from erupting.
However, considering that high doses of fluorine may have the risk of fluorosis, they are usually carried out after the age of two, and the dosage will be reduced as appropriate for young children.
Can all children over 2 years old be coated with fluoride?
According to the principle of local and short-term effectiveness of fluorine coating, there is basically no contraindication for fluorine coating treatment except for those who are allergic to the components in fluorine protective paint.
Perhaps the only contraindication is that children who do not cooperate well with dentists cannot apply it.
Although the whole process of fluoride coating is non-invasive and painless, and the current fluoride coating drugs are all kinds of friendly fruit flavors, there are always some children who are full of fear of dentists and will run away as soon as they see dentists.
Therefore, if your children are too young and cannot cooperate well with dentists, it is difficult to operate.
If there is no condition to choose a hospital with corresponding comfort and sedation equipment, or if forced to do so, some families can only choose to postpone fluoride application.
Pay attention to what after fluoride application?
After the baby is coated with fluorine, it is necessary to ensure that the fluorine paint remains on the tooth surface for a short period of time to ensure that sufficient concentration of fluorine can remain and cure.
Therefore, attention should be paid to these two time points after fluoride coating is completed:
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Don’t drink water or gargle for half an hour.
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Try not to eat for four hours and do not need to brush your teeth that day.
It should be noted that after some fluorine protective paint is applied to the tooth surface, there will be a temporary layer of yellow substance outside the teeth, but this is the color of fluorine protective paint after curing, and there is no need to worry. With daily eating and brushing, this layer of yellow substance will soon wear out and disappear, and teeth will not be yellow from now on.
How often should fluorine be applied?
The essence of fluoride application is to apply a higher concentration of fluoride to teeth and keep it for a short period of time. Yes, it will fall off and will fall off. Therefore, in order to prevent tooth decay, children should not apply fluoride only once.
So, how often is it appropriate to apply it? How old should it be?
According to clinical guidelines, fluoride application at least twice a year has a good preventive effect on children’s tooth decay.
As for how old should be applied, there is no definite time. As children get older, the efficiency and effect of brushing teeth will gradually be guaranteed. After dentist examination, children are considered to have a low risk of caries, so they can no longer prevent caries by applying fluorine.
In fact, some cities have made fluoride application for teenagers to prevent tooth decay a public welfare undertaking. For example, in schools, they can enjoy fluoride application treatment free of charge.
However, there are indeed regional differences in this matter, and there are still many places where it is not so popular. If this is the case, parents can only take the initiative to pay attention and consult the dentist.
If you apply fluoride, you won’t get tooth decay again, will you?
No, no, no, this is impossible.
There are many causes of tooth decay. Sugar, bacteria, host and time are the four important factors. Similarly, there are many ways to prevent tooth decay. Fluoride treatment is only one of the auxiliary ways to combat tooth decay. It is absolutely impossible to use fluoride once and for all.
Parents should integrate various methods, such as:
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Brushing teeth, gargling and flossing are all necessary ways to protect teeth.
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Reasonable eating habits, such as eating less sugar and not eating sugar, can fight tooth decay.
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Routine oral examination is also the only magic weapon to fight tooth decay.
Don’t care about everything after fluoride is applied, don’t care about brushing your teeth, and don’t care about diet. That’s killing you!
For children, protecting the health of deciduous teeth and young permanent teeth is crucial to the growth and development of the whole body.
Having healthy teeth will make children eat more smoothly and experience better. Without tooth decay, it is also of positive significance to mental health. If you laugh, you have no scruples and don’t have to worry about being laughed at by other children.
Fight tooth decay, the whole family work together!