Fluoride is a mineral that is found in water and many foods. Fluoride helps protect teeth from cavities! Fluoride protects the enamel of your teeth by making teeth more resistant to acid attacks from bacteria in the mouth. Most people in the United States have tap water with fluoride added. Water fluoridation helps reduce tooth decay by more than 25% in children and adults.
If you live in area where your drinking water is not fluoridated or if you use a filtration system such as reverse osmosis that removes fluoride from your water, you can get fluoride by:
- using toothpaste with fluoride
- using fluoride mouth rinses for people over age six
- buying water with added fluoride
Talk with your dentist or doctor about whether getting fluoride varnish treatments would be a good choice for you.