Fluoride
 Fluoride is important to your dental health. At Puget Sound Pediatric Dentistry, we can help your teeth be strong and stay strong with fluoride. We encourage our patients to strengthen their teeth with a suitable amount of fluoride. Studies in the 1930's showed a strong relationship between cavities and consuming fluoride. Due to this study, public officials introduced adding fluoride to drinking water and the overall dental health of the public showed marked improvement. Since then, studies have continually demonstrated the benefit that fluoride has for our teeth.
Our dentists, Chris Lugo, DMD, Jenny-Lee Kramar, BDS, Kendra E. Farmer, DDS, Kristin Johannsen, DDS, MSD, Chad Slaven, DDS, MSD and Paula Stepp, DMD, MS recommend that our patients have the correct amount of fluoride needed to strengthen their teeth and maintain a healthy mouth.
How does fluoride help my teeth?
When we eat sugar, the hard outer layer of our teeth starts to demineralize, weakening our teeth. Fluoride helps prevent this demineralization and also remineralizes them, providing strength to the enamel. We do recognize that the key is to have the right amount of fluoride, building up the enamel is extremely useful in preventing cavities, but too much can have negative effects. Fluoride is an acceptable preventive measure supported by our dentists at Puget Sound Pediatric Dentistry, most public health officials and the American Dental Association.
Should I buy toothpaste with fluoride?
We recommend children over the age of 2 to use a small, pea sized, amount of fluoridated toothpaste when brushing. We want your child to learn to spit this toothpaste when brushing, it is not recommended that they swallow it.
What is a fluoride treatment?
If one of our dentists determine that a fluoride treatment is needed, we will discuss this at the child's dental checkup. Fluoride treatments are a strong concentration rinse of fluoride that is gargled and then spit from the dentist chair. This is done in the control of the dentist or assistant.
I have heard or read negative comments about fluoride, is it bad?
There are healthy and unhealthy levels of fluoride. In recent years, people have questioned whether having fluoride in our drinking water is appropriate. With it now in so many of our dental products, including toothpaste and rinses, patients have questioned if we are receiving more fluoride than we should. Generally speaking, we agree that it is still a good idea to have fluoride in your drinking water, as supported by the American Dental Association, but that answer may change based on each city's individual water supply.
We are happy to discuss your questions or concerns about fluoride. Contact our dentists, Chris Lugo, DMD, Jenny-Lee Kramar, BDS, Kendra E. Farmer, DDS, Kristin Johannsen, DDS, MSD, Chad Slaven, DDS, MSD and Paula Stepp, DMD, MS, at one of our pediatric dentistry locations:
Marysville
919 State Ave #104, Marysville, WA 98270
Phone: (360) 659-8100
Monroe
14090 Fryelands Blvd Suite 348, Monroe, WA 98272
Phone: (360) 863-8700
Lake Stevens
9421 N Davies Rd Suite A, Lake Stevens, WA 98258
Phone: (425) 367-4149
Stanwood
7104 265th Street NW. #110 Stanwood, WA 98292
Phone: (360) 339-8000
We want your child to have strong, healthy teeth that will last them a lifetime!
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