Home › Nutrition › NUTRITION WHY’S #46: WHY FLUORIDE ? Fluoride prevents tooth decay and as a result maintains healthy gums. Inflammation of the gums called gingivitis is a source of irritation and it is also a risk factor for heart disease associated with diabetes.

NUTRITION WHY’S #46: WHY FLUORIDE ? Fluoride prevents tooth decay and as a result maintains healthy gums. Inflammation of the gums called gingivitis is a source of irritation and it is also a risk factor for heart disease associated with diabetes.

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NUTRITION WHY’S #46: WHY FLUORIDE ? Fluoride prevents tooth decay and as a result maintains healthy gums. Inflammation of the gums called gingivitis is a source of irritation and it is also a risk factor for heart disease associated with diabetes. Tooth decay is the third largest expense for the health care system in the U.S. costing 60 billion dollars a year. A bacteria that lives in the mouth (Streptococcus mutans) take up glucose and makes acid which eats into the enamel covering the teeth exposing the nerves inside the tooth and causing pain while also destroying the tooth structure. Fluoride in drinking water, tea, toothpaste, mouthwash, and bony fish like sardines is used by the body in making tooth enamel. Tooth enamel like bone is made from a compound compound called hydroxyapatite. When fluoride is present, the body makes fluoroapetite along with hydroxyapatite so that the teeth are able to resist acid preventing tooth decay. Fluoroapatite effectively puts a shield around the teeth so that cavities cannot form. Fluoride is most important between ages 6 and 16 when teeth and bones are forming, but it also helps adults. Bacteria collect in communities on the teeth called plaque where they put out more acid to hurt the teeth. These plaques are removed by dental hygienists who scrape the tooth surface. Removing food particles and sugary candy from between your teeth by flossing after meals and brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and drinking fluoridated water helps prevent cavities. They still can happen in children who eat hard candy all day exposing their teeth to large amounts of sugar. However, cavities are much less common today than in the past. Growing up in the 1950’s without fluoridated water, I ate candy snacks and developed cavities, while my kids growing up in the 1980’s have no cavities. Today sugar contributes to the global obesity epidemic and tooth decay. Balanced Nutrition includes watching your sugar intake and taking care of your teeth and gums!! #drdavidheber #fluoride #teeth #toothpaste to learn more go to www.drdavidheber.com and www.herbalifenutritioninstitute.com

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Categories: Nutrition

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