Fluoride therapy

Fluoride therapy is the use of fluoride for medical purposes. Fluoride supplements are recommended to prevent tooth decay in children older than six months in areas where the drinking water is low in fluoride. It is typically used as a liquid, pill, or paste by mouth. Fluoride has also been used to treat a number of bone diseases. Relatively high ingestion of fluoride by babies and children may result in white marks on the teeth known as fluorosis. Excessive ingestion by babies and children can also result in severe dental fluorosis, indicated by a brown or yellow coloring and weakness/brittleness of the teeth, or in severe cases, acute toxicity. Fluoride therapy typically uses the sodium fluoride form, though stannous fluoride may also be used. Fluoride decreases breakdown of teeth by acids, promotes remineralisation, and decreases the activity of bacteria. It is believed to work primarily through direct contact with the teeth in the mouth after they have emerged from the gums. Fluoride came into use to prevent tooth decay in the 1940s. Fluoride is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. In 2020, it was the 265th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions. Fluoride therapy has been proven to have a beneficial effect on the prevention of dental caries. Robust evidence supports the use of fluoride toothpaste (with concentrations of 1000 ppm and above) to reduce the risk of dental caries in school-aged children and adolescents. The ingestion of fluoride as primary teeth are being developed has shown that the teeth have formed stronger and more resistant for caries, though increases the risk of dental fluorosis. Water and milk fluoridation are two forms of systemic fluoride therapy that have been demonstrated to be effective at preventing dental cavities. Fluoride supplementation has been extensively studied for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis. This supplementation does not appear to be effective; even though sodium fluoride increases bone density, it does not decrease the risk of fractures.