Water Fluoridation Essay Example
Water Fluoridation
Around 30% of children under 17 years old get cavities and about 14% of adults each year (Oral Health Center). Cavities can cause toothache, holes in the teeth, tooth abscess, fractured tooth, which causes pain and tooth sensitivity. These symptoms can become a nightmare, as our teeth are necessities in order to consume most of the available food products. If not taken care of early, amalgam “silver” fillings are needed. These fillings contain mercury, which is said by the American Dental Association that mercury exposure in amalgam fillings and vaccines is the number one cause of disease and illness in America. There are a few ways to prevent tooth decay, two of which involve fluoride. Brushing your teeth with fluoride containing toothpaste, which most do and drinking fluoridated water regularly are going to be my focus for this guide.
Water fluoridation is the addition of fluoride in water to reduce tooth decay. Tooth decay is a disease where acids created by bacteria that eat away the three tissues of a tooth, which are enamel, dentin, and cementum. Bacteria and food cause tooth decay. Bacteria that form on the outer shell of our teeth (enamel) that humans call plaque. Those bacteria feed on the sugars of our food, making acid that eats our enamel, which can cause pain, infections, and even tooth loss (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Fluoride is added to water in certain amounts in order to lower a production of saliva, which stores minerals only to be used again at an early stage of a cavity. The bacteria eat away our enamels, which cause our teeth. As soon as you reach the stage of a cavity, the only way fluoridated water can help is by brushing your teeth with toothpaste because it contains fluoride as well and replaces the missing minerals, which have been taken by the acid. In worst cases, if the patient waits too long before cleaning, other treatments are necessary. The best way to keep cavities away is to drink
Around 30% of children under 17 years old get cavities and about 14% of adults each year (Oral Health Center). Cavities can cause toothache, holes in the teeth, tooth abscess, fractured tooth, which causes pain and tooth sensitivity. These symptoms can become a nightmare, as our teeth are necessities in order to consume most of the available food products. If not taken care of early, amalgam “silver” fillings are needed. These fillings contain mercury, which is said by the American Dental Association that mercury exposure in amalgam fillings and vaccines is the number one cause of disease and illness in America. There are a few ways to prevent tooth decay, two of which involve fluoride. Brushing your teeth with fluoride containing toothpaste, which most do and drinking fluoridated water regularly are going to be my focus for this guide.
Water fluoridation is the addition of fluoride in water to reduce tooth decay. Tooth decay is a disease where acids created by bacteria that eat away the three tissues of a tooth, which are enamel, dentin, and cementum. Bacteria and food cause tooth decay. Bacteria that form on the outer shell of our teeth (enamel) that humans call plaque. Those bacteria feed on the sugars of our food, making acid that eats our enamel, which can cause pain, infections, and even tooth loss (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Fluoride is added to water in certain amounts in order to lower a production of saliva, which stores minerals only to be used again at an early stage of a cavity. The bacteria eat away our enamels, which cause our teeth. As soon as you reach the stage of a cavity, the only way fluoridated water can help is by brushing your teeth with toothpaste because it contains fluoride as well and replaces the missing minerals, which have been taken by the acid. In worst cases, if the patient waits too long before cleaning, other treatments are necessary. The best way to keep cavities away is to drink