FLUORIDE APPLICATION IN PEDODONTICS
The milk-tooth series and the subsequent mixed-tooth series develop during the period when the child’s growth is most active. The first milk tooth begins to appear in the 6th month. Different group milk teeth fall from time to time and leave their place to permanent teeth. This condition can last until the age of 13. In this process, early milk tooth losses may affect jaw development, leading to aesthetic and speech disorders.
Oral and dental health in childhood seriously affects future oral and dental health. For this reason, it has great importance to solve problems occurring in this period quickly and to prevent new problems from occurring in the future. There are various applications to protect milk teeth. “Protective” treatments are the first step in pedodontics. Protective applications are mainly aimed at preventing the formation of caries to keep the milk teeth till eruption of the permanents. Precautions to be taken early and minor interventions for preventive purposes enable children to have healthy teeth.
Fluorine is a natural mineral that is widely available in almost every part of the earth. Some food and water sources also contain fluorine. It has been proven by studies that it prevents the formation of dental caries if fluoride is found in a suitable and continuous form in the mouth. Especially in the initial caries (white colored caries), it causes remineralization of the tooth enamel and causes the strengthening of the damaged tooth tissue and thus the prevention of caries. Moreover, nowadays, it is now possible to protect children from dental caries with balanced nutrition, supporting oral hygiene with fluorine-containing toothpastes, mouthwashes and fissure sealants. In addition, local fluoride applications applied daily by dentists is another effective way to prevent dental caries.
In the regular use of fluoride, fluoride replaces calcium in the developing teeth of children and prevents teeth against caries. When used locally, because calcium fluoride is constantly present in the mouth, thereby accelerating the remineralization of the initial caries. It does not allow bacteria to adhere to the tooth surface and multiply.
Fluorine application is applied in two ways, gel and varnish, in the clinical procedure. Fluoride varnish application is not harmful and it is a very safe application. As it is applied to the surface of the tooth, it has a very low risk of swallowing and fluoride toxicity since it dries and hardens in a short time by contacting with saliva. It reduces dental caries by 30-40 percent. For this reason, it can be used safely for children.