What Types of Fluoride Treatment Are There?
Professional fluoride comes as a varnish painted onto the teeth or as a gel or foam held in a tray. Ask the team which form suits you or your child.
Do Adults Need Fluoride Treatment Too?
Adults need fluoride treatment when something raises their risk of decay, and Cleveland Clinic confirms that adults benefit too. Ask about it if you have:
- New cavities or decay around old fillings
- A dry mouth from medicines or a health condition
- Receding gums that leave roots exposed
- Crowns, bridges, braces or a partial denture
- Sensitive teeth or acid reflux
Types of Professional Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride Varnish
Fluoride varnish is a concentrated fluoride coat brushed onto dried teeth. It sets fast and wears off within a few hours. Health Canada says varnish prevents decay in people at risk and should be applied by someone trained to do it.
Fluoride Gel or Foam
Fluoride gel or foam sits against your teeth in a tray for a short time. Health Canada says gels and foams help prevent decay in people at risk, but research shows they do not work as well as varnish.
Prescription Fluoride for Home Use
Prescription fluoride is a stronger fluoride product for home use by people at high risk of decay. Use it only as the dentist directs. Health Canada says never give a fluoride mouth rinse to a child under 6.
How Is Fluoride Varnish Different From Silver Diamine Fluoride?
Fluoride varnish helps prevent new decay. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a liquid painted onto an existing cavity to stop or slow it.
The American Dental Association names permanent black staining of the treated decay as a common side effect. SDF does not rebuild the tooth, so a filling can still be needed. Ask the team whether it suits you.
What Happens During a Fluoride Treatment at the Dentist?
A fluoride treatment at the dentist takes a few minutes and follows four steps.
- The team checks your cavity risk from your teeth, diet and health history.
- Your teeth are cleaned or dried with cotton rolls or a puff of air.
- Varnish is painted on, or gel or foam goes on in a tray.
- You get aftercare instructions for the product used.
Tell the team first about asthma or allergies, a past reaction to a dental product or any fluoride drops or tablets your child takes.
What Should You Avoid After Fluoride Treatment?
After fluoride varnish, avoid eating, drinking and rinsing for at least 30 minutes. That is the advice in NHS dental leaflets on varnish.
The same leaflets suggest soft foods for the rest of the day and no brushing until bedtime so the varnish stays on longer. Products differ, so follow the instructions you get at the visit.
Does Fluoride Treatment Hurt?
Fluoride treatment needs no drilling and no freezing, and an NHS leaflet says varnish does not hurt. Tell the dentist if anything feels uncomfortable.
Your teeth can look slightly yellow or feel waxy for a few hours. The tint wears off the next time you brush. Call the clinic if a coating or soreness does not settle.
Allergic reactions are rare. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swallowing, or swelling of the tongue or throat.
Is There a Downside to Fluoride Treatment?
The main downside is that fluoride treatment lowers risk without ending it, so it has to be repeated and paid for each time. In a young child the extra fluoride adds to the daily total that can cause fluorosis.
Is Fluoride Treatment Safe for Children?
Fluoride treatment is safe for children when a trained professional applies it and the dentist has checked the fluoride your child already gets from toothpaste, water and supplements.
The risk to watch is dental fluorosis. Health Canada describes it as small white lines or flecks on adult teeth, caused by swallowing too much fluoride as those teeth form under the gums. York Region Public Health puts that window between birth and eight years of age.
Fluorosis cannot start once the adult teeth are in. Its mild form only changes how teeth look. The Canadian Dental Association's fluoride FAQs give these toothpaste amounts:
- Birth to 3 years: ask a health professional to check the risk of decay. A child at risk gets a rice-grain portion of fluoride toothpaste. A child not at risk gets a brush wet with water only.
- 3 to 6 years: a pea-sized amount, with an adult watching and the child spitting it out.
How Often Do You Need Fluoride Treatment?
Your cavity risk sets how many fluoride treatments you need, and the dentist sets the schedule. The NHS describes varnish every 6 months for children and more for some.
How Long Does a Fluoride Treatment Last?
A fluoride varnish coat lasts a few hours before it wears off. Its protection depends on repeat treatments on your dentist's schedule, plus fluoride toothpaste twice a day.
What Are the Benefits of Fluoride Treatment?
Fluoride treatment lowers your risk of new cavities and can harden an early white spot before it becomes a hole. The Canadian Dental Association says fluoride makes enamel more resistant to decay and can reverse its early signs.
What Fluoride Treatment Cannot Do
Fluoride cannot rebuild a tooth once a hole forms. The dentist checks whether a cavity can be watched and treated without a filling, or needs a filling or other repair.
Fluoride does not replace brushing, flossing or checkups. It cannot remove tartar or treat an infected tooth.
Fluoride Treatment or Dental Sealants?
Fluoride treatment strengthens enamel on every surface it covers, and dental sealants seal the deep grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth. A child with deep grooves and a high cavity risk can get both.
| Fluoride treatment | Dental sealants | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Strengthens enamel | Seals deep grooves |
| Where it works | Every surface it covers | Chewing surfaces of back teeth |
| How long it stays | A few hours, then repeated | Several years, checked regularly |
| When it is the wrong choice | A cavity that has already opened | Decay between the teeth |
Is Fluoride Part of a Teeth Cleaning?
Fluoride is a separate step that the dentist or hygienist can add during a checkup or cleaning visit. A cleaning removes plaque and tartar. Fluoride strengthens the tooth surfaces, and you do not need it at every cleaning.
What Does a Fluoride Treatment in Vaughan Cost?
Published prices at other Vaughan and Toronto-area clinics put a professional fluoride treatment at about $25 to $60. Your own cost comes in a written estimate after an exam.
The product and your plan or CDCP coverage change the cost, so ask for the fluoride fee as its own line on the estimate.
If cost is the worry, the CDCP and Healthy Smiles Ontario cover preventive care for people who qualify. Healthy Smiles Ontario is for children 17 and under in low-income households. Ask the team whether the clinic takes it.
Does Insurance Cover Fluoride Treatment?
Private dental plans set their own fluoride rules, including age limits and yearly maximums. My City Dental offers direct insurance billing. An insurer's predetermination is an estimate and not a promise of what the plan will pay.
Does CDCP Cover Fluoride Treatment?
The CDCP covers topical fluoride, including varnish, within age limits set in its Dental Benefits Guide:
- Ages 0 to 16: one treatment in any 6 months
- Ages 17 and older: one treatment in any 12 months
My City Dental accepts the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Coverage depends on the service and your eligibility. Some services need preauthorization, and so does a request for treatments beyond the limit.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fluoride Treatments
Is it worth paying for fluoride treatment at the dentist?
Fluoride treatment is worth paying for when your cavity risk is raised by new decay, a dry mouth, exposed roots or braces.
If you have no new decay and brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, the dentist may say you do not need it. Ask about your own risk before you decide.
Why do some people say no to fluoride at the dentist?
Some people say no to fluoride because they worry about its effect on their health. Health Canada says no health risks other than dental and skeletal fluorosis have been proven to be related to fluoride, after testing since the 1940s.
Saying no is your choice. The dentist can go over other ways to lower your cavity risk.
Which organ is affected by fluoride?
Fluoride affects the teeth and the bones when far too much is taken in. Too much swallowed as adult teeth form causes dental fluorosis, which marks the enamel.
Skeletal fluorosis, a hardening of bones and joints, needs very high intake over a long time. Health Canada says it is extremely rare in Canada because fluoride in water and products is kept low.