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Fluoride vs. Fluoride-free Toothpaste Which Better?

Buy a suitable toothpaste for yourself

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Fluoride toothpaste can prevent dental caries, which is a common sense of life. However, we have often heard voices of doubts about this common practice.

Someone claims that fluoride is carcinogenic and fluoride toothpaste causes teeth to suffer macular spots, that are often seen on social media.

Therefore, some people would believe the statement, then they try to find an alternative product like fluoride-free toothpaste, which would keep them healthy.

Do we really need fluoride-free toothpaste?

Fluorine is one of the trace elements necessary for the physiological activities of the human body. It will affect the normal physiological functions of the human body if the intake is insufficient.

The normal progress of hematopoietic function, bone metabolism, the activity of nervous system enzymes, and so on. All are dependent on the presence of fluorine.

Fluoride also plays an effective role in protecting teeth. You can see the tooth anatomy image below.

Tooth Anatomy

About the tooth component, our tooth enamel’s main chemical is hydroxyapatite, the major ingredient of normal bone and teeth.

Hydroxyapatite makes up bone mineral and the matrix of teeth, which gives bones and teeth their rigidity.

The minerals inside our tooth enamel will dissolve and lose (demineralization), then it will regenerate and deposit on the tooth also (remineralization).

Demineralization and remineralization will maintain a balance generally, that keeps our teeth healthy. However, when demineralization always greater than remineralization, our dental caries will form.

Inside our tooth, hydroxide ions can replace by fluoride ions, which can produce fluorapatite. It’s stable and not easily corroded by acid, making remineralization greater than demineralization.

Moreover, in our tooth, the anti-plaque and anti-corrosion ability is enhanced too. Therefore, fluoride can prevent dental caries well.

To sum up, it is necessary to maintain a proper fluoride concentration in the oral cavity, and fluoride toothpaste is the most common method to achieve this effect.

Too much fluoride intake is harmful

For sure, fluorine is important to the human body and has a good effect on preventing dental caries, however, if overtaken will indeed cause harm and fluorosis.

Dental fluorosis refers to the condition that someone’s tooth enamel is underdeveloped due to excessive intake of fluoride during the teeth development period. The abnormal stripes or plaques will appear on the enamel.

Dental fluorosis

Normal brushing will not cause fluoride over intake

If you brush your tooth twice a day, the total amount of fluoride entering the oral cavity is absolutely within a safe range.

Moreover, don’t forget that brushing your tooth isn’t equal to eat toothpaste.

Most toothpaste is vomited out during the mouthwash process. Therefore, less toothpaste would swallow into the body, and it is less fluoride in it.

Can patients with dental fluorosis use fluoride toothpaste?

As mentioned, the formation of dental fluorosis is caused by over intake fluoride during tooth development (approximately 6-8 years old).

If your fluoride intake is normal during tooth development, after this period, no matter how much fluoride intake you are, it will not cause dental fluorosis.

Theoretically, if you are confirmed dental fluorosis, whether you are used fluoride toothpaste in adulthood, it won’t have much effect on dental fluorosis.

Therefore, in order to prevent dental caries, it is recommended to use fluoride toothpaste to protect your health.

Normal brushing will not cause fluoride over intake

Can children use fluoride toothpaste?

In order to prevent the formation of dental caries, fluoride toothpaste is still necessary.

Children haven’t good enough self-control ability, they may swallow toothpaste involuntarily when brushing.

Therefore, children under 3 years old are not recommended to use fluoride toothpaste.

For 4-6 years old, it is recommended to use children’s fluoride toothpaste which fluoride content is lower than adult toothpaste, and under parental supervision.

For 6-8 years old, it is recommended to use fluoride-free toothpaste, which’s the important period of tooth development. In order for your kid’s healthy and pretty, stop use fluoride toothpaste to prevent any accident.

Children over 8 years old can generally brush tooth independently, and they won’t swallow toothpaste. They can choose any toothpaste according to their favorite.

Can children use fluoride toothpaste?

Is fluoride toothpaste suitable for areas with high levels of fluoride drinking water?

If you live in an area with high fluoride levels content in drinking water and it has not been treated to reduce fluoride, you should consider using fluoride-free toothpaste.

Because the intake of fluoride in drinking water could ensure better prevention of dental caries, and it could be possible to intake fluoride excessively if you use fluoride toothpaste in the situation.

Toothpaste choice according to fluoride levels in drinking water

What if you don’t use fluoride toothpaste?

Theoretically, if you have good oral hygiene after 25 years old, dental caries will enter a quiescent period, it will not be much progress generally, and new dental caries wouldn’t issue.

As you get old, the gums will recede, the neck and roots of the teeth are exposed, therefore, the food tends to accumulate in the gaps between the teeth, finally, the new dental caries is likely to occur.

Dental caries period

If you keep using fluoride toothpaste can reduce the probability of dental caries when you are old. So, if the fluoride toothpaste is harmless to you, why you don’t use it?

After reading, for your oral situation, is it necessary to buy high-priced fluoride-free toothpaste?

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