The Whole Tooth and Nothing But the Tooth

If you're an adult, you might not think your body's tissues need minerals like fluoride to maintain good health. However, adults do need fluoride to maintain good teeth and gums, especially if they're prone to cavities. Fluoride can reduce the number of cavities you get throughout your lifetime, and the mineral can help treat the caries you do have. Learn about fluoride deficiency and your solutions for it below.

How Does Fluoride Deficiency Problems Affect You?

Many people think bacteria and plaque are the main causes of tooth decay, but they're actually not. Not having enough fluoride in your saliva can also lead to tooth decay. Although fresh produce, city tap water, and mineral-enhanced beverages contain small to large quantities of fluoride, you might not consume enough of these items to reap the benefits of fluoride. Your teeth might pay for the lack of fluoride at some point in your life.

Along with a host of other minerals, your tooth enamel needs fluoride to rebuild itself during the day. Enamel receives its strength from fluoride. The fluoride in saliva coats and penetrates your tooth enamel every time the substance washes over it. If your saliva fails to obtain the fluoride it needs, your enamel will eventually become prone to decay.

If you don't know if you receive enough fluoride in your diet, ask a dentist to check your teeth for you.

How Do You Take Care of Your Deficiency Problem?

A dentist can use many methods to determine whether or not you receive enough fluoride in your diet, including x-rays. When enamel is weak from a lack of minerals, it may show in your imaging pictures. Your enamel may appear dark if it has lost minerals. The images may also be dark if you have cavities.

If a family dental care clinic finds problems with your tooth enamel, a dentist can repair them. The repairs may include filling and crowning your teeth. A dentist may also "bathe" your teeth in fluoride. You may need additional fluoride treatments in the future to maintain strong teeth.

After you receive care from a dentist, you can protect your enamel from fluoride deficiency by incorporating mineral-rich vegetables into your diet. A dental clinic may be more than willing to provide you with a list of vegetables and other foods to eat.

If you're deficient in fluoride and need immediate dental care, contact a family dental clinic for services today.