Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Minerals are added to and lost from a tooth's enamel layer every time we eat and drink through the process of demineralization and remineralization. Demineralization occurs when acids formed by plaque bacteria and sugars break down the tooth's enamel. Remineralization occurs when the minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate in the foods and drinks we consume redeposit into the enamel layer of the tooth. Too much demineralization with not enough remineralization causes decay ("cavities"). Fluoride helps to protect teeth by making them more resistant to the acids that cause tooth decay. In addition, fluoride treatments can sometimes reverse early tooth decay that has not yet broken through the enamel layer and decrease sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures.