Your teeth are made of a hard but porous material called enamel. Every time you eat, bacterial plaque forms on your teeth, producing acids that can begin the process of decay. That acidic environment starts to demineralize your teeth, or cause calcium and phosphate (critical parts of the enamel) to be dissolved. Fortunately, saliva helps to reverse this process. It flushes away some of the bacterial acids and it's naturally rich in calcium and phosphate. That means saliva can remineralize your teeth, putting those minerals back into your enamel where they belong.
Fluoride is like a jump-starter for your saliva. In laboratory tests, scientists found that calcium and phosphate were incorporated back into teeth at a much faster rate when fluoride was added to saliva. The new structure formed on your teeth, composed of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride, is actually stronger than calcium and phosphate alone, and is more resistant to future acid attacks.
If your water isn't fluoridated, let us know. We can prescribe fluoride gels, mouth rinses, drops, or tablets that will keep your teeth strong and resistant to decay.
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