One of the major concerns patients have regarding dental procedures is the after-care measures. It is hard to learn that you may have to avoid eating your favorite foods to benefit your oral health. Therefore, preparing yourself for the changes after your treatment can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed afterward.
What Is Fluoride Treatment?
It is a dental protocol in preventive dentistry that helps sustain strong and healthy teeth. A fluoride treatment in Pleasant Hill concerns applying a fluoride varnish containing a high fluoride concentration. Fluoride is a natural mineral, usually present in regular food, that builds and maintains strong and healthy teeth. The mineral also helps fight bacteria and acids that cause dental cavities.
What Is the Importance of Fluoride Treatment?
At Grafton Dental, we encourage fluoride treatments for patients who need extra help maintaining healthy teeth. Usually, these are patients with a high risk of getting dental cavities. The reason is that fluoride increases teeth’ resistance to bacteria and acids that result in dental cavities.
Over the years, dental experts have uncovered that people who get fluoride treatment early in life have a significantly lower chance of getting oral cavities than not. As such, dentists near you advocate for fluoride treatments for children, particularly during the cavity-prone ages of 6 to 14. However, adults too benefit from fluoride treatments. Some other benefits of fluoride treatment are:
- Keeping teeth strong
- Encouraging good oral hygiene
- Prolongs the life of teeth – particularly by avoiding premature loss of baby teeth. The consequence is, that your child may not need to wear braces later to correct the misalignment problems that often occur due to premature baby tooth loss.
- Potentially reversing the development of cavities in their early stage.
- Improving mineral absorption, so your body can better use the calcium and other minerals you obtain from foods.
What to Expect During and After Fluoride Treatment
One thing you must know about fluoride treatment near you is that it is a preventive measure. Therefore, its role is not to cure or treat decayed teeth. Instead, it heightens resistance to bacteria that can result in various oral complications.
During your treatment, you are not subject to pain or discomfort. The process entails applying varnish to your teeth and allowing teeth to absorb the mineral before rinsing it out. It should take under 45 minutes to complete your treatment. After that, the dentist near you will recommend refraining from brushing your teeth for at least six hours post-treatment.
Should You Eat Immediately After Fluoride Treatment?
Do not starve yourself simply because you have undergone a fluoride treatment near you. However, your dentist will recommend waiting for at least 30 minutes before you eat or drink anything. You must also be careful about what you eat, allowing the fluoride to seal your teeth properly.
What Foods Are Ideal After Fluoride Treatment?
Soft foods are always ideal after any dental treatment. Even though fluoride should not stop you from chewing properly, avoiding hard foods is important since they can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment. Wait for about six hours before you can comfortably eat whatever you want. In the meantime, you can enjoy food such as:
- Greek yogurt
- Ice cream
- Scrambled eggs
- Mashed potatoes
- Bananas
Some of the foods you must avoid during the first six hours after your treatment are:
- Hot beverages
- Alcohol or alcohol-based products like mouthwash
- Smoking
- Crunchy hard foods
Is Fluoride Treatment Enough to Keep Your Teeth Healthy?
Professional fluoride treatment contains a higher concentration of fluoride than natural sources. Therefore, getting the treatment places you at an advantage. Still, it does not replace the need to care for your teeth at home. You must also keep consuming foods with fluoride in them. Some other practices you must take up post-treatment are:
- Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste – liaise with your dentist to identify the best brand.
- Eat foods rich in fluoride, including tap water, fish with bones, and boiled foods.
- Visit your dentist regularly for routine exams and cleanings to keep your mouth clean.
