BENEFITS OF TOPICAL FLUORIDE VARNISH

At any age, the application of topical fluoride varnish treatments are beneficial in different ways. I will be discussing the advantages of fluoride applications and their contraindications.

As parents of young children, it is sometimes a challenge to get your child to brush their teeth and/or they do not allow you to help them. Without regular brushing with a fluoride toothpaste, this can lead to tooth decay. Please note it is essential that your child first learns how to spit out fluoride toothpaste as ingesting large amounts can make them very sick. Furthermore when they start to get their adult teeth their first molars erupt behind their last baby molars which most often the child is not getting their toothbrushes back far enough. Most children enjoy sweet things like juice, ice cream and candy which all can contribute to cavities. So most children will benefit from professional topical fluoride treatments which enhance the strength of their enamel to make their teeth more resistant to new tooth decay. A very quick and simple procedure. As we age we may not be prone to tooth decay but rather increased sensitivity due to large fillings, gum recession and general wear and tear. I provide topical fluoride varnish treatments to decrease sensitivities in adults. The procedure itself takes about 60 seconds and the fluoride varnish is applied by a small brush which the teeth are painted. Post operative instructions are nothing to eat or drink for 30 minutes as it takes that long for the fluoride to be absorbed by the enamel. The only contraindication for fluoride treatments is if a person has an allergy to it.

In closing regular professional fluoride varnish treatments are a quick and easy procedure to aid in prevention of new tooth decay and can help with reducing sensitivity in adults. So at any age fluoride treatments can be extremely beneficial.