|
USE OF FLUORIDE IN PREVENTION OF DENTAL CARIES
Use of fluoride in prevention of dental cavities
started in the beginning of the last century but it was only in
the middle of the last century that sufficient scientific evidence
existed to justify its use. It is perhaps one of the most successful
effort by man (and also women ) to fight a disease with some thing
that is so naturally occurring .
Fluoride can be used in any of the following
ways :
(a) Fluoridation of drinking water.
(b) Topical fluoride application.
(c) Use of fluoride in toothpaste, mouthwashes,chewing
gums, tablets e.t.c.
FLUORIDATION OF WATER
It is now amply supported by studies, that if communal drinking
water contains fluoride between 0.5 to 0.9 ppm (approximately 1
ppm is the recommended amount) then it leads to considerable tooth
decay inhibition without producing any significant mottling of enamel.
To achive the complete fluoride effect for reduction
of dental cavities , communal water should be fluoridated and should
be available for the first 12 to 13 years of life, as the fluoride
should be available during the formation of tooth (during calcification),
erruption ,and even during post erruption phase . there can be a
reduction of more then 50% if fluoride is available in drinking
water or added to a concentration of 1 ppm . Its benificial effect
can be guaged from the fact that it is reported to lead to a ten
fold reduction in cavities of proximal surface of permanent incisors.
TOXIC EFFECT OF WATER FLUORIDATION:
There have been opponents of fluoridation and there argument is
, that harmful effect on older persons outweight the benefit of
reducing cavities, also since the toxic effect of large dose of
fluoride is well known they oppose addition of fluoride to the drinking
water even in minimum quantity.
Other fear that water fluoridation will lead to mottled (disfigured
) enamel, is also unfounded, on the contrary it has been found that
children who have benifited from fluoridation of water have a very
estheticaly pleasing bluish white teeth.
For more information on Fluoride click
here
TOPICAL APPLICATION OF
FLUORIDE :
Even though fluoridation of communal water is known to be benificial
, it can not reach the entire population as there are a number of
people who live in are which does not have a communal water supply
so the next best alternative is:
(1) fluoridation of school water supply.
(2) fluoride tablets.
(3) topical fluoride application.
(4) self administration ,like with toothpaste.studies done in this
field show
positive results and indicate that there can be a reduction of 40%
to 90 % in the incidence
of cavities .
HOW FLUORIDE WORKS:
There are several ways in which fluoride is thought to act on tooth.
(1) It is believed that fluoride gets incorporated in the tooth
structure at the time
of calcification.
(2) It is a well established fact that fluoride reacts with hydroxyapatite
to form
fluorapatite , it reduces the acid solubility of the tooth structure
(3) The topical fluoride application is believed to reduce the permiability
of
enamel.
(4) The tooth structure that has fluoride incorporated in them have
the ability to
prevent acid production by microorganism.
(5) It also helps in hardening of tooth structure that has been
softened by the
action of acid.
|
