Fluoride is considered one of the most effective elements for preventing tooth decay. Water fluoridation has always been viewed as the most effective public health initiative ever to prevent tooth decay and improve overall dental health. Your dentist may recommend various ways for your child to get fluoride protection including:
– drinking fluoridated water;
– taking prescribed fluoride tablets or drops, only if you don’t live in a fluoridated community;
– fluoride application in the dental office;
– brushing with a rice size or pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste; and
– using a fluoride mouth rinse for children over age six.
Did you know . . .
– Research shows that fluoride reduces cavities by up to 50 percent in children.

– As a direct result of water fluoridation and over-the-counter fluoride products, half of children entering the first grade today have never had a single cavity, compared with 36 percent in 1980 and 28 percent in the early 1970s.

– Children who drink water containing fluoride from birth have up to 40 percent fewer cavities, and many of them remain cavity-free through their teens.