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Category Archives: Flouride Toothpaste

Why You Should Use Fluoride Toothpaste

01 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by docsatterfield in Cavity, Decay, Dental Hygene, Flouride Toothpaste, Fluoride, Fluorosis

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cavity, decay, fluoride, fluorosis, safety, toothpaste

Below is an example of an article I read to use for reference when making recomendations to my patients.  It is independent and done by degreed researchers.

Bottom line in this article:  using toothpaste without fluoride allows decay that otherwise would not occur.  13% more decay occurred in school children who used a low-fluoride toothpaste. Stopping use of fluoride toothpaste is not a good idea.  It does not cause fluorosis.

I promise not to subject you to any more scientific articles!-)

www.medscape.com

                          Authors and Disclosures:  Journalist:

Laird Harrison; Laird Harrison is a freelance writer for Medscape.
Laird Harrison has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

From Medscape Medical News > Conference News

Studies Show No Advantage to Low-Fluoride Toothpaste

Laird Harrison

March 30, 2012 (Tampa, Florida) — Low-fluoride toothpastes do not reduce the risk for fluorosis but increase the risk for caries in very young children, according to a meta-analysis presented here at the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) 2012 Annual Meeting.

“There is no evidence to support the use of low-fluoride toothpaste in preschoolers,” said principal investigator Ana Santos, DDS, MS, PhD, a professor of dentistry at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Recommendations from professional organizations around the world vary widely in the concentration of fluoride recommended for preschool children’s toothpastes, with some recommending “low” concentrations — below 600 ppm — and others recommending “standard” concentrations of 1000 to 1500 ppm, Dr. Santos said.

Toothpastes with less than 600 ppm of fluoride are available in many countries, including Europe, Australia, and Brazil, whereas in others, including the United States, fluoride toothpastes must contain a higher concentration.

The debate about fluoride concentrations in toothpaste is intensifying as more fluoride has been introduced in community water supplies and mild fluorosis is diagnosed in more children.

“In Brazil, we are in the middle of a discussion because it’s very difficult to convince people that all children should use standard toothpaste,” said Dr. Santos.

Toothpaste is a major source of fluoride in young children. “As we know, children tend to swallow a substantial amount of toothpaste when brushing,” said Dr. Santos.

Although low-fluoride toothpaste is not available in the United States, some standards-setting groups in the United States are debating whether to allow it, session moderator Clifton Carey, PhD, professor of cariology at the University of Colorado, Denver, who is involved in the discussions, told Medscape Medical News. “The FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] is awaiting clinical data,” he said.

To see what research has already been determined on this issue, Dr. Santos and her colleagues systematically reviewed 1932 records and 159 full-text articles on the subject. From these, they found only 5 clinical trials that measured caries or fluorosis.

Pooling the results on 4635 participants in 3 of the studies that looked at primary teeth, they found that those brushing with low-fluoride toothpastes had 13% more decayed, missing, or filled teeth than those brushing with standard toothpaste (relative risk, 1.13 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.07 – 1.20]).

Combining data from 2 of the studies with a total of 1963 participants, they found that the low-fluoride toothpaste did not significantly reduce the risk for aesthetically objectionable fluorosis in the upper anterior permanent teeth (relative risk, 0.32 [95% CI, 0.03 – 2.97]).

“It would be reasonable to accept that using toothpaste with low fluoride should reduce the amount of fluorosis, but that’s not what the studies show,” said Dr. Santos.

A high concentration of fluoride in toothpaste may be important because the fluoride comes into direct contact with teeth, Dr. Carey pointed out.

But he said it might be possible to change the formulation of toothpastes so that they reduce the risk for fluorosis while maintaining their power to fight caries. One approach might be to change the other ingredients, which affect the bioavailability and stability of the fluoride, said Dr. Carey, who was not involved in Dr. Santos’ study.

Dr. Carey and Dr. Santos have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

American Association for Dental Research (AADR) 2012 Annual Meeting; Abstract #1176. Presented March 24, 2012.

Medscape Medical News © 2012 WebMD, LLC
Send comments and news tips to news@medscape.net.

W Bryon Satterfield, DDS, MAGD   General dentist in The Woodlands with excellent care, skill and judgment from decades of experience in precision practice and teaching. Things work! 281-363-1571

Visit his website: docsatterfield.com

Brushing: Mini-Fluoride Treatment

13 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by docsatterfield in Acid Erosion, Cavity, Decay, Dental Hygene, Flouride Toothpaste, Plaque

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Tags

fluoride, plaque, toothbrush

Your Toothbrush is a Fluoride Applicator

When you brush your teeth, think of your toothbrush as a fluoride applicator.  Use a pea-sized amount of ADA-approved toothpaste.  The active ingredient proven for ADA-approval is fluoride.

 Fluoride has 3 main actions:       1. Stop DE-mineralization of your teeth.

                                                 2. RE-mineralize softened enamel.

                                                 3. Kill harmful bacteria.

Fluoride hardens enamel, making it better at resisting acid attack.  It also restores slightly softened enamel, as good as new.  Fluoride also kills decay-causing bacteria. It freshens breath, too!  A quadruple plus for one ingredient!

You intend to brush every day and floss every night, just before bed.  Sometimes we don’t.  This is what to avoid:  Never go days without brushing!  Even if you do a sloppy job of it, always, always, always apply fluoride toothpaste every day.

Plaque is a white film that causes decay and gum disease.    It covers your teeth when you don’t brush it off.  The answer?  Remove it every day.  Even if you don’t brush well, apply fluoride toothpaste.  Fluoride-filled plaque doesn’t hurt teeth nearly as much as when it is left undisturbed for 2 days. Longer is worse.

Before you start brushing, smear the toothpaste over every tooth, in BOTH arches, inside and out.  Use your toothbrush as a fluoride applicator.  Then do your usual brushing technique.  The fluoride is in contact with your teeth for much longer with this technique.

The best:  brush and floss every day.  The minimum:  Fluoride toothpaste every day.

    W Bryon Satterfield, DDS, MAGD General dentist in The Woodlands with excellent care, skill and judgment from decades of experience in precision practice and teaching. Things work! 281-363-1571.  Visit his website: docsatterfield.com

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