Fluoride therapy
Fluoride is sold in tablets for cavity prevention.
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| Trade names | OrthoWash, PerioMed, others |
| AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
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by mouth |
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Fluoride therapy is the use of fluoride for medical purposes. Fluoride supplements are recommended to prevent tooth decay in children older than 6 month in areas where the drinking water is low in fluoride. It is typically used as a liquid, pill, or paste by mouth. Where public water supplies are fluoridated further fluoride by mouth is typically not needed. Has also been used in a number of bone diseases.
Normal doses may occasionally result in white marks on the teeth. Excessive doses can result in brown or yellow coloring of the teeth. Fluoride therapy typically uses the sodium fluoride form, though stannous fluoride and hydrogen fluoride may also be used. Fluoride appears to decrease breakdown by acids, increase remineralisation, and decrease the activity of bacteria. It is believed to work mostly through direct contact with the teeth after they have emerged.
Fluoride came into use to prevent tooth decay in the 1940s. Fluoride, as sodium fluoride, is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. In the United Kingdom a typical month supply costs the NHS about 0.36 pounds. It is also not very expensive in the United States.
Fluoride therapy has been proven to have a beneficial effect on the prevention of dental caries. Robust evidence supports the use of fluoride toothpaste (with concentrations of 1000 ppm and above) and fluoride supplements, in the form of drops and tablets, to reduce the risk of dental caries in school-aged children and adolescents. The ingestion of fluoride as primary teeth are being developed has shown that the teeth have formed stronger and more resistant for caries. Water and milk fluoridation are two forms of systemic fluoride therapy that have been demonstrated to be effective at preventing dental caries.
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