What is Fluoride Varnish?

Hello. I’m Dr. Grey Kantor here at Kantor Dental Group in San Rafael, California.

Today I want to talk about fluoride varnish. Fluoride varnish can be really helpful to your teeth, especially if you’ve noticed you’ve been getting more cavities lately, or you just suspect some sensitivity in your teeth. It’s important to put on some varnish, because the fluoride will protect your teeth and also make them less sensitive. The way it does that is it replaces the hydroxy ion in the hydroxyapatite, making it fluoroapatite. This is a very hard structure and becomes even harder with fluoride.

This topical application of fluoride really strengthens the teeth and will defend against both cavities and sensitivity. So the next time your hygienist says, “Hey, I think fluoride would be good today because we have those cavities, or because of the tooth sensitivity,” please consider it, because it would be very helpful for your teeth.

If you have any more questions about that, definitely come to our office here in San Rafael, California, at Kantor Dental Group, aesthetic dentistry and implantology.