Dental problems are typical in children. Sometimes, it becomes severe before you notice the changes. Fluoride deficiency is one of these teeth issues. Fluoride is one of the natural, powerful tools in oral health. Your mouth may not be as healthy as you think, even if you floss and brush carefully or avoid drinks and sugary food. 

You may suffer from fluoride deficiency, which you should not take lightly.

In the case of children, it becomes essential to take prompt action. You are unsure about fluoride treatment and when your child needs it. 

First, you need to find professional help like ParkwayPD to understand your child’s dental health clearly. They are a modern pediatric dental office focusing on providing high-quality dental care and childrens dentistry in Roanoke. At the same time, you must try to read a few signs to know whether it’s time to go to a dentist. 

Let’s talk about fluoride treatment and the sources of fluoride.

Fluoride and its sources

The iodized state of fluorine is fluoride. It is widely available in many foods, water, and soil. Fluoride helps remineralize and enhances teeth and bone health when the enamel loses minerals. The saliva is the medium that transports the fluoride back to the enamel. If your enamel faces too much demineralization, it will result in issues such as tooth decay. Fluoride will help you prevent various expensive and avoidable problems. 

The sources of fluoride are –

  • Community /tap water
  • toothpaste containing fluoride
  • Dental Treatments at the Dentist’s office
  • At-home fluoride treatment
  • Bottled water 
  • Fluoride Supplements

Let’s move on to another crucial point, which are the signs of fluoride deficiency.  Read on and find out the signs you must notice in your child.

Signs of fluoride deficiency

The most common and prominent sign of fluoride deficiency is tooth decay. This indicates that fluoride is missing from their teeth’ enamel. Insufficient fluoride constructs an environment for biofilm and bacteria present in plaque to thrive. It allows them to produce acids to wear away the tooth enamel. The weakened tooth enamel results in cavities.

Fluoride treatment will help strengthen the teeth. Brittle or weak bones are also the symptoms of fluoride deficiency. These symptoms appear in older adults. On the other hand, you cannot overlook the white spots on your child’s teeth. White spots are the symptoms of demineralization. You can also opt for some at-home treatment to see if they can help. Try switching oral hygiene products to ones containing fluoride.

Fluoride treatments used by dentists are beneficial for people with a high risk of erosion and tooth decay. Children can start their fluoride treatment after their first tooth appears. However, be cautious of children less than two years old who must use fluoride-free toothpaste. 

Too much fluoride ingested in a young child will lead to teeth eruption in adults. It causes dental fluorosis. Don’t panic. The fluoride varnish dentists use helps control tooth decay in children and is safe. It hardly gets swallowed as dentists use a minimal amount of fluoride.