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Teeth are primarily made up of hard minerals like calcium. If you were to look at the outer enamel layer of your tooth under a powerful microscope, you would see that it is made up of long, narrow crystals that look like spikes. The main component of these crystals is a substance called hydroxyapatite (pronounced hi-drock-see-ap-uh-tite).
This crystal structure that makes up your tooth enamel is comprised primarily of calcium. It's the calcium portion of your tooth enamel that's destroyed by the acids that are produced as the harmful bacteria in your mouth feed on the sugars in plaque. When we apply fluoride to the crystal structures, they actually harden and become more resistant to decay. This hardening process is called "remineralization."
In addition to remineralizing your teeth, fluoride also slows down the bacteria's feast on the starchy food debris in plaque, lessening the formation of acids. And frequent, regular brushing and flossing gets rid of much of the plaque, so there's less for the bacteria to feast upon.
That's why it's important that we regularly apply fluoride to your child's teeth. It's a comfortable, inexpensive treatment that can make teeth stronger and more resistant to decay.