Friday, July 12, 2013
About Fluoride
Though the mechanism of clinical effect of fluoride is still debated but fluoride has been used widely in dentistry from many years in terms of caries prevention .
Fluoride therapy for the prevention of dental caries is considered under two main headings....
1. Systemic Fluoridation
2. Topical Fluoridation
Systemic Fluoridation :
a) Fluoridation of communal water : An optimal level of fluoride in the water supply provides significant protection against caries. The optimal concentration depends on the annual average temperature of the community as temperature influences the amount of daily water intake. Temperature ranging between 14.7d c to 17.7d c the optimal level of fluoride is 1.00 p.p.m.In a warmer climate slightly less than 1ppm is sufficient.The effect of fluoride in drinking water persists in adulthood if fluoridated water is consumed in between 8 to 18 years of age
-i.e during tooth formation and mineralization .
b) Fluoride supplements like tablet, drops , lozenges, table salt , vitamin , etc offer an alternative source of systemic fluoridation where water fluoridation is not feasible. These suppliments are usually administerd continuously on a daily basics front birth to the pre-erruptive maturation of permanent teeth .
