Is Dental Fluoride Treatment for Children Safe?

 

Fluoride dental treatments can help to harden your child’s enamel and protect teeth from decay. For many children, these treatments mean the difference between growing old with their natural teeth or losing them all to cavities and pain.

But some parents are worried about fluoride dental treatments. If you’re one of them, this information can help to ease your concerns.

How Safe Are At-Home Fluoride Products?

Every day, your child can take steps to keep those pearly whites shining bright. The products and tools you buy can either help or hinder that process, and many of them include fluoride.

Experts recommend using a toothpaste with fluoride on any tooth you can see clearly within your child’s mouth. In the past, parents were told to wait until a child celebrates the second birthday before deploying fluoride. That’s changed.

Many children in the United States have cavities on teeth that should last them for years. Doctors want to prevent those cavities when they can, so they want parents to use fluoride earlier.

It’s true that discoloration can appear in some teeth exposed to a lot of fluoride early in life. However, experts say this problem appears in only about one in four people, and in most cases, it’s so mild that only doctors can see it.

How Safe Is Dental Fluoride Treatment?

If your child is at high risk for cavities, you may need more help than you can deliver at home.

In-office fluoride treatments involve a dentist applying a foam, gel, or paste to your child’s teeth. The whole procedure is over in minutes, and it can be repeated every three months to one year.

Your child will be exposed to higher doses of fluoride in these procedures, but again, this is a safe process that protects your child from future cavities.

Who Should You Ask?

As a parent, it’s your job to keep your child safe. But it’s hard to do that when you see so much conflicting information online and in social media.

You can get lost in Google with a query of “How safe is dental fluoride treatment?” Instead, form a relationship with a pediatric dentist you can trust. Together, you can decide what’s right for your child and your family.

We form relationships like this with parents every day, and we’d love to have you join us. Contact us for an appointment.