As more people turn to bottled water and away from the tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient: Fluoride. Most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride! Dr. Anthony Farrow Orthodontics in Mt. Airy wants to remind its patients that if they drink bottled water, they will need to get their fluoride elsewhere. Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. Our friends at the American Dental Association have endorsed both community water fluoridation and the use of fluoride-containing products as a safe means of preventing tooth decay.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also warned that “bottled water may not have a sufficient amount of fluoride, which is important for preventing tooth decay and promoting oral health.” Many townships add fluoride to their local water source. If you are avoiding fluoridated tap water in favor of the ever-more-popular bottled water, Dr. Anthony Farrow Orthodontics warns that you could be missing out on the levels of fluoride necessary to make a difference in your oral health. One 2012 study in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry found that more than 65 percent of parents using bottled water did not know what levels of fluoride it contained.
If bottled water happens to be your or your children’s beverage of choice, check the label to make sure your brand contains fluoride. Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, Dr. Anthony Farrow Orthodontics reminds that it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake.
Questions about fluoride? Give Dr. Anthony Farrow Orthodontics a call at our convenient Mt. Airy office! We look forward to hearing from you and keep drinking water!