Fluoride

I strongly believe that fluoride is our best medicine against cavities and it works!

I have seen harder teeth and fewer cavities in children who had fluoride while growing up. (My own children take fluoride daily).

Adding fluoride to toothpaste has greatly reduced cavities and additional benefit comes from swallowing a SMALL amount.

Some people live where fluoride naturally occurs in their water and they benefit from stronger teeth. Oregon does not, so fluoride must be added to the water or taken as a supplement.

Minerals such as zinc, copper, manganese, and magnesium are essential for good health in small amounts, but too much can be poisonous.

Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is table salt and Sodium Iodide (NaI) is added to salt because a small amount of iodide prevents thyroid disease.

Sodium Fluoride is the same: in the right amount it helps prevent cavities by hardening the enamel and making it more resistant to decay.

PRESCRIPTION FORM OF FLUORIDE

Swallowing prescription fluoride supplements helps the permanent teeth growing within the jawbones. A prescription ensures your child uses the right amount.

Your child does not need these supplements if they live in an area where fluoride is added to the water, such as Vancouver, Washington or Beaverton, Oregon.

If in doubt, check with your water department. If your child is on a school fluoride plan, you should get a prescription for non-school days.

To maximize the benefit of fluoride, take the doses AS PRESCRIBED.

Too much fluoride taken at below age 3 may cause spots or lines on the adult teeth that appear years later. Extreme overdoses can be poisonous so, as with any prescription medicine, keep out of reach of children.

DOSES FOR CHILDREN

The prescription form is prepared in a compound called Sodium Fluoride (NaF). Each dose contains both sodium and fluoride.

Here are the appropriate doses of NaF for areas that have no fluoride in the water and the amount of F in each:

Under 3 Years old: .55mg NaF (=0.25mg F)
3 to 5 Years old: 1.1mg NaF (=0.5 mg F)
6 to 16 Years: 2.2mg NaF (=1.0 mg F)
We recommend that children take them up to the age of 16 because there is also a topical benefit.

TOPICAL FLUORIDES (toothpaste / mouth rinse)

Soaking teeth in topical fluoride, then spitting it out helps the teeth already in the mouth.

All forms of fluoride other than the prescription, such as toothpaste, rinses, etc. are for topical use (they are NOT swallowed) and benefit the surfaces of the teeth already visible in the mouth.

We recommend the use of topical fluoride for children who can spit out and not swallow them.