At Padden Dental, we are committed to educating the public about fluoride safety.
We have gotten a lot of questions regarding the safety of fluoride over the years and as your dentist in Vancouver WA, we wanted to take a moment to put any concerns that you have about fluoride to rest.
Consistently exposing your teeth to a moderate level of fluoride is instrumental in helping to strengthen the enamel of your teeth and fight decay. This is why fluoride was introduced to our drinking system in the 1940’s.
The typical child (above age 2) or adult should be able to safely consume fluoride in moderate amounts. This means exposure to fluoride through your toothpaste, mouthwash, and tap water should not be hazardous to your teeth’s enamel.
Children under 2 years of age that have teeth that have not emerged from the gums have the potential to develop a condition known as fluorosis, which is when the enamel has been exposed to too much fluoride. Symptoms of this commonly include lines or streaks on tooth enamel. For this reason, your dentist in Vancouver WA recommends that children under 2 years of age use a training toothpaste that does not contain fluoride.
If you rely on a powder based formula that is mixed with fluorinated tap water to feed your infant, there is a slightly increased risk that your child may experience a very mild case of fluorosis. Only a very small amount of fluoride is passed to the baby through breast milk, so a nursing mother should not neglect her own oral hygiene for the sake of her baby. If you have any concerns about your infant being exposed to too much fluoride, be sure to consult your pediatrician.
To learn more about fluoride and how it can be beneficial to your teeth, contact us at Padden Dental, your dentist in Vancouver WA.