Foods To Avoid After Fluoride Treatment

After a dental treatment procedure, it is important to take some precautions to prevent complications or worsening of our dental health condition. This includes being careful of what we ingest and our unhealthy behavior patterns. Such precautions should be taken after completing a fluoride treatment.

A dental fluoride treatment is a professional treatment that involves the application of high concentrations of fluoride to a person’s teeth. This is done by a fluoride treatment dentist to improve oral health and reduce the risks of cavities of the patient. This treatment might come in the form of a solution, gel, foam, or fluoride varnish.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in our bones and teeth. It helps us to build strong bones and teeth and prevent dental cavities. Fluoride can also be found in water, rocks, soil, plants, and air. Dietary fluoride is also present in some of the foods we take like tea, food cooked in water, fish and their bones, and infant formula. Fluoride, in dentistry, is used to strengthen the outer layer of the teeth called the enamel.

Uses Of Fluoride

Apart from the use of fluoride in dentistry to strengthen the teeth and prevent cavities, it also has other uses. They include:

• Fluoride is used in the manufacturing of toothpaste, mouthwash, and other supplements.
• Fluoride is used as a cleaning agent.
• Fluoride is used in the production of pesticides.
• Fluoride is used to make Teflon, aluminum, and steel products.
• Fluoride is used to enhance medical imaging scans like PET scans.

Fluoride in dentistry helps the teeth to reabsorb minerals like calcium and phosphate to repair a weak tooth’s enamel. It is absorbed into the teeth structure when the teeth are developing. It then strengthens the tooth enamel and reduces the vulnerability to bacteria and cavities to the barest minimum. Fluoride slows and sometimes reverses the growth of dental cavities by destroying the bacteria that causes it.

Small amounts of fluoride are said to be present in most of America’s tap water. This is known as water fluoridation and it is meant to reduce tooth decay in those who drink the water.

Dental Fluoride Treatment Procedure

The fluoride used in dental fluoride treatments is similar to the one present in toothpaste. However, the fluoride used in dental treatments is highly concentrated and produces faster results.

The treatment can come in form of a highly concentrated rinse, foam, gel, or fluoride varnish. These may be applied with a swab, brush, tray, or mouthwash.

This treatment only takes a few minutes to apply. You should avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after the treatment for the fluoride to be fully absorbed.

Benefits of Fluoride Treatment

Unhealthy eating habits, poor oral health, excessive drug or alcohol use, etc increase the risks of dental cavities. Fluoride can be used to reduce the risks of dental cavities. Benefits of fluoride include:

• Increasing the lifespan of your teeth.
• It saves you a lot of money and time that would be spent at the dental clinic for numerous treatments.
• It prevents gum diseases.
• It reduces tooth pain.
• It prevents premature tooth loss.
• It prevents the growth of harmful oral bacteria.
• It slows down the loss of vital minerals from the tooth enamel.
• It repairs weakened tooth enamel.

Fluoride Treatment Aftercare

After getting a fluoride treatment there are precautions to follow to ensure that the treatment produces positive results. Precautions to observe after a fluoride treatment include:

• Avoid brushing or flossing for the next four to six hours after fluoride treatment. Brushing sooner than this will wipe off the fluoride before your teeth absorb it.
• Avoid using any additional fluoride treatments. Using a high amount of fluoride not recommended by the dentist can have adverse effects on your teeth.
• Stick to a soft diet for a couple of hours after the treatment.
• Avoid alcohol or alcoholic products.

Foods To Avoid After Fluoride Treatment

You are to avoid citrus fruits, sugary drinks, and crunchy, spicy, and frozen foods after a fluoride treatment.

If you are looking to have fluoride treatment in Danbury, CT? Schedule an appointment with our dentist at Danbury Smiles – George L Landress, DDS, MAGD!