The French Union for Oral Health recommends against using fluoride-free toothpaste. These products would increase the risk of cavities in adults and children. What are the benefits of fluoride? What is the recommended daily dose? How to choose the right toothpaste? Lighting.
More and more fluoride-free toothpaste, in which fluoride is sometimes replaced by essential oils or other natural substances, are available in supermarkets and drugstores.
What are the benefits of fluoride on teeth?
Fluoride is a chemical element that is used in toothpaste to act as an anti-caries agent. In 1947, two pharmacists, Danier Carlier and Jean-Jacques Goupil put the first fluoridated toothpaste on the market. Gradually, other manufacturers have incorporated this trace element into the formula of their toothpaste. Fluoride remains the most effective anti-caries active ingredient. To deprive oneself of it is to reduce one's chances of remaining in good oral health, insists the UFSBD.
What is the mechanism of action of fluoride?
Whether mineral (sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, etc.) or organic (Olaflur), fluorine - and in particular fluoride ions, which are very active - contribute to considerably reducing the prevalence of tooth decay in both children and adults. These ions act on different levels:
→ By antiseptic effect against cariogenic germs (Streptococcus mutans, for example), responsible for caries. Fluoride makes it possible to degrade dental plaque, composed of these bacteria, at the level of the enamel. If not removed, plaque bacteria turn ingested sugars into acids, promoting the occurrence of cavities.
→ By strengthening tooth enamel. Fluoride, present in toothpaste, strengthens it, making it more resistant to acid attacks with each solid or liquid food intake. Fluoride thus plays a major protective role for teeth.
→ By reversing the process of caries. Recent scientific studies have shown that fluoride has the ability to stop the progression of the carious disease and even reverse the carious process, thanks to the remineralization of damaged surfaces, at the first stage of caries.
What dose of fluoride per day?
"From the point of view of regulation, fluorine ions are limited in cosmetics to the dose of 0.15% (or 1500 ppm, unit endorsed by use in the oral field)", reassures the French Union for Oral Health in its press release.
What are the dangers of ingesting too much fluoride?
According to the UFSBD, the risks of chronic poisoning are low. They are mainly due to misuse (ingestion of large quantities of toothpaste especially by children who are not old enough to spit it out or in particular psychiatric situations). However, an excess of fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis, especially in children, which is characterized by the appearance of spots on the teeth that then become whitish or brown. Used in a reasoned way and following the recommendations of your dentist, there is no danger. For children, a toothpaste with a slightly lower dose of fluoride (1,000 ppm fluoride for children under 6 years of age) is recommended. "The dentist can also carry out an individualized assessment of fluoride intake (via food, water, etc.) in order to determine the child's carious risk and prescribe, if necessary, fluoride supplementation," Virginie Saint-Marc, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health, told us in a previous interview.
How to choose the right toothpaste?
Toothpaste is an indispensable ally of good oral health. They must be chosen rigorously:
- Without any particular risk of decay, opt for a 'classic' toothpaste dosed between 1,000 and 1,450 ppm of fluoride, the optimal concentration for most of us (from the age of 6).
- If your teeth are decayed, infected, or yellowed, opt for a specialized toothpaste, prescribed by your dentist. It can be enriched with fluoride for example and meet your oral needs.
- Avoid toothpaste that is too 'polishing', such as those with vegetable charcoal that can damage the enamel. You can opt for toothpaste for sensitive teeth.
- Avoid toothpaste that contains E171 (titanium dioxide), a white dye that could have carcinogenic effects.
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