Fluoride Treatment in Aurora

What it is

Every time you eat or drink something with sugar or starch, plaque bacteria make acid. The acid pulls minerals out of the outer layer of your teeth. Between meals, saliva helps put some of those minerals back. Fluoride tips that balance toward repair. It makes enamel harder for acid to dissolve and helps early weak spots rebuild, a process called remineralization.

You already get some fluoride from toothpaste and, in many communities, from tap water. A professional treatment is a much stronger dose applied right where it is needed. Health Canada notes that fluoride varnish works better than gels or foams and should be applied by someone trained to do it. Varnish is a sticky, slightly yellow or clear coating that is painted on with a small brush. It sets on contact with saliva and stays on the teeth for several hours.

Fluoride for kids' teeth is the most common reason for a treatment, because children's enamel is still maturing and cavities can move fast in baby teeth. Adults can benefit too. Dry mouth from medicines, gums that have pulled back and exposed the roots, braces, frequent snacking, or a run of new cavities can all raise your risk.

Your dentist decides whether you need a treatment and how often, based on your teeth, your habits and your history. Not everyone needs it at every visit.

Is it right for me?

• Your child has had cavities, or there are white chalky spots on their teeth.
• You wear braces or another appliance that makes cleaning harder.
• Your mouth feels dry much of the day, often because of medicines.
• Your gums have receded and the roots of some teeth are exposed.
• You have had several new cavities in the last few years.

Step by step

1. Risk checkAt your exam, your dentist looks for early decay and asks about diet, dry mouth and home care to judge your risk.
2. Quick wipeThe teeth are wiped or dried so the varnish sticks. A full cleaning beforehand is not always needed.
3. Paint it onA thin layer of varnish is brushed over the teeth, starting with the areas most at risk. It sets almost at once.
4. Care instructionsYou are told how long to wait before eating hard foods and when to brush it off. Instructions differ by product, so follow what you are given.

How it compares

General information. Your dentist will explain what applies to you.

Benefits and risks

Cost and coverage

A fluoride application is a small, single-line fee that follows the Ontario Dental Association fee guide. Many insurance plans include it for children and some include it for adults, often with a limit on how many times a year. The Canadian Dental Care Plan lists fluoride applications as a preventive service, and we accept CDCP for children and adults as well as IFHP. We direct bill all plans. If you are paying yourself, ask about our in-house dental plan and student program. Your dentist will mention fluoride before applying it, so you can ask about cost first.

What shapes your estimate

• Whether the treatment is done at a checkup or a separate visit
• Your age, since plans often cover fluoride differently for children and adults
• How often your dentist recommends it for your risk
• Your plan's frequency limits

Read more about insurance and payment, the Canadian Dental Care Plan and IFHP coverage.

After your visit

• Follow the eating and drinking advice given for the product used. Soft foods and cool drinks are usually fine soon after varnish.
• Skip brushing and flossing for the time you are told, often until later that day or the next morning.
• Keep brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste: a smear the size of a grain of rice for children under three if advised, and a pea-sized amount for ages three to six.
• Help young children spit out toothpaste rather than swallow it.

Questions