Just like a knight relies on his armor for protection, your teeth rely on fluoride. From strengthening the enamel to protecting them from cavities and tooth decay, fluoride is essential for good dental health.
However, despite the long list of benefits, fluoride is not as effective when it comes to teeth whitening. So, what exactly does fluoride do, and can excess fluoride whiten your teeth?
Keep scrolling to learn more about fluoride and its effects.
What Is Fluoride?
Fluoride is a natural mineral that is typically used in dental products to boost your dental health. In fact, fluoride can also be found in regular drinking water, along with certain foods.
The main purpose of fluoride is that it aids in strengthening your pearly whites. It builds up the base layer of enamel, making it strong enough to repel plaque and bacteria buildup. This way, there’s a reduced chance of cavities or tooth decay from taking root.
Due to its natural qualities, fluoride can also reverse cavities, especially if they’re in the initial phase. Moreover, fluoride can accelerate mineral buildup in your teeth, making them healthier than before.
Does Fluoride Whiten Teeth?
Unfortunately, no. Fluoride does not whiten teeth. It might appear as such due to the enamel, but teeth whitening is completely unrelated to fluoride usage.
Since fluoride builds your enamel, the outer layer of your tooth gets thicker. This, in turn, makes it look whiter than it is since there’s no dentin peeking out. Thus, the thicker and stronger your tooth is, the more radiant it looks. Plus, there’s a lower chance of your teeth suffering from discoloration.
It’s easy for people to get confused between the effects of a fluoride treatment vs. a teeth whitening procedure. However, both their results vary significantly.
What Does A Fluoride Treatment Do?
During a professional fluoride treatment, dentists apply an extremely concentrated concoction of fluoride to your teeth. It can either be in the form of a foam rinse, gel application, or fluoride varnish.
No matter what fluoride treatment method your dentist chooses, it will leave your teeth feeling tough and invincible. This is because there’s a higher concentration of fluoride in these treatments. Thus, if the formula sits on your teeth for even 30 minutes, it will easily be absorbed.
This way, rather than whitening your teeth, a fluoride treatment works on reinforcing your tooth’s enamel.
What’s The Takeaway?
Simply put, fluoride is a very useful natural mineral. It helps to toughen up your pearly whites. However, fluoride does not whiten your teeth in any shape, way, or form. Due to the enhanced layer of enamel, it can seem like your teeth have been whitened, but it’s just the lack of discoloration making it look that way.
Nevertheless, if you, too, want to cement your pearly whites and make them stronger, reach out to Modena Dentistry at (346) 966-3362. You can also come to visit us at 6915 Farm to Market 1960 Rd W Suite G, Houston, TX 77069, near the T-Mobile outlet.