Fluoride has become very common in today’s dental products. You find fluoride in your toothpaste, mouthwash, and in your tap water, but do you know how fluoride works and why it helps to prevent tooth decay?

The enamel on your teeth is continually adding and losing minerals via remineralization and demineralization. If teeth are subjected to more demineralization than remineralization, tooth decay results. Acid, which is created from sugars and bacteria in the mouth, is one of the biggest causes of demineralization and tooth decay. Fluoride works to make the tooth more resistant to acidic attack and therefore helps to prevent tooth decay.

There are many ways to get fluoride. Some comes from foods and dental products but the majority comes from fluoridated water. Fluoridated water has been around since the mid-1940s. Lately, there have been many conflicting opinions on fluoridated water, however, this is the ADA’s official stance on fluoridation…

American Dental Association (ADA) Fluoridation Policy

“The American Dental Association unreservedly endorses the fluoridation of community water supplies as safe, effective and necessary in preventing tooth decay. This support has been the Association's position since policy was first adopted in 1950.” - ADA Fluoridation Policy and Statements