'More than 144 million United States residents in more than 10,000 communities drink fluoridated tap water, providing an automatic defense against the harmful ingredients that cause such a preventable oral health disease. "Instead of drilling holes to fix cavities, dentists would rather educate the public on how to avoid developing tooth decay in the first place," said Cynthia Sherwood, DDS, FAGD, spokesperson for the AGD. "Drinking tap water to receive fluoride is safe, and it's easier on your wallet than going to the dentist for a filling."
The second-most effective source of fluoride is varnish. Varnish, applied quickly and easily by a dentist, is one of the most concentrated products available commercially. Varnishes that contain sodium fluoride adhere to tooth surfaces when saliva is present, providing an excellent fluoride treatment. Keeping fluoride in the mouth enhances its ability to arrest demineralization and promote remineralization, and varnishes are better for this purpose than fluoridated drinking water or toothpaste. Fluoride varnishes are typically used for patients who don't receive enough fluoride from other sources...Read more:
