Chicago Dentist, Dentistry in Chicago

The United States has been adding fluoride to its drinking water supplies since the 1940s. Dentists, and many other individuals, believe that the benefits from fluoride come from ingesting fluoride. Recently, it has been determined that a lot of benefit from fluoride comes from the topical use of fluoride. This would be fluoride in toothpaste, mouth washes, and other things that come into direct contact with an individual’s teeth.

Fluoride’s main dental benefit is that it prevents tooth decay in an individual’s teeth. The research that determined this began in the early 1900s in Colorado. A Colorado dentist noticed that the teeth of some of his patients were extremely discolored but had very few cavities and little evidence of tooth decay. He then noticed the same thing in Texas. In Texas, the combination of those two factors was so common that the issue was called Texas Teeth. In 1931, it was discovered that the fluoride in the water was contributing both to the discoloration of teeth and to the lack of tooth decay.

In 1947, it was determined by public health experts that it would be beneficial to have 1 part fluoride to every 1 million parts of water. This was determined to be the highest amount of fluoride that could be in the water without staining teeth but still providing the correct amount of cavity and decay protection.

Since then, fluoride has been added to numerous products that are on the market now. It is in water, both bottled and from the tap; toothpaste; some mouthwashes; and now it is even available over the counter in a purely fluoride rinse. The fluoride rinse is commonly prescribed by orthodontists to prevent tooth decay around the braces since it is harder to brush the teeth effectively when there is a large amount of metal in the way.

If you or someone you know is in need of a great dentist for either cosmetic or regular procedures, contact Chicago dentist Dr. Bagai today at 773-767-1554. He and his experienced team will keep your teeth and smile looking great.