Sodium Fluoride (By mouth)
SOE-dee-um FLOOR-ide
Helps develop healthy teeth and prevent cavities.
Drug classes
Cariostatic, Dentifrice, Fluoride Supplement, Protectant, Dental (About this – PubMed Health)
Uses
Uses of This Medicine
Fluoride has been found to be helpful in reducing the number of cavities in the teeth. It is usually present naturally in drinking water. However, some areas of the country do not have a high enough level in the water to prevent cavities. To make up for this, extra fluoride may be added to the diet. Some children may require both dietary fluoride and topical fluoride treatments by the dentist. Use of a fluoride toothpaste or rinse may be helpful as well.
Taking extra oral fluoride does not replace good dental habits. These include eating a good diet, brushing and flossing the teeth often, and having regular dental checkups.
Fluoride may also be used for other conditions as determined by your doctor.
This medicine is available only with a prescription.
Importance of Diet
For good health, it is important that you eat a balanced and varied diet. Follow carefully any diet program your health care professional may recommend. For your specific dietary vitamin and/or mineral needs, ask your health care professional for a list of appropriate foods. If you think that you are not getting enough vitamins and/or minerals in your diet, you may choose to take a dietary supplement.
People get needed fluoride from fish, including the bones, tea, and drinking water that has fluoride added to it. Food that is cooked in water containing fluoride or in Teflon-coated pans also provides fluoride. However, foods cooked in aluminum pans provide less fluoride.
The daily amount of fluoride needed is defined in several different ways.
For U.S.—
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy persons. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person’s age, sex, and physical condition (e.g., pregnancy). Daily Values (DVs) are used on food and dietary supplement labels to indicate the percent of the recommended daily amount of each nutrient that a serving provides. DV replaces the previous designation of United States Recommended Daily Allowances (USRDAs).For Canada—
Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) are used to determine the amounts of vitamins, minerals, and protein needed to provide adequate nutrition and lessen the risk of chronic disease.There is no RDA or RNI for fluoride. Daily recommended intakes for fluoride are generally defined as follows:
Infants and children—
Birth to 3 years of age: 0.1 to 1.5 milligrams (mg). 4 to 6 years of age: 1 to 2.5 mg. 7 to 10 years of age: 1.5 to 2.5 mg.Adolescents and adults—
1.5 to 4 mg.Remember:
The total amount of fluoride you get every day includes what you get from the foods and beverages that you eat and what you may take as a supplement. This total amount should not be greater than the above recommendations, unless ordered by your health care professional. Taking too much fluoride can cause serious problems to the teeth and bones.Other uses (PubMed Health)
How To Use
Chewable Tablet, Lozenge, Liquid
Your doctor will tell you how much to use and how often.
Chew or crush the chewable tablet before swallowing. Take this medicine at bedtime after brushing your teeth.
To use the oral liquid, squeeze the right number of drops into the mouth using the dropper. Or you can mix the medicine with juice or food (but not dairy foods such as ice cream or yogurt).
If a dose is missed:
Take the missed dose as soon as possible.
If it is almost time for your next regular dose, wait until then to take your medicine and skip the missed dose.
You should not use two doses at the same time.
How to Store and Dispose of This Medicine:
Store at room temperature in the original container, away from heat, direct light, and moisture. Do not freeze the oral liquid.
Keep all medicine out of the reach of children.
Drugs and Foods to Avoid
Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any other medicine, including over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products.
You should not use calcium pills or foods rich in calcium (like milk, cheese, or yogurt) within 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking this medicine.
When Not To Use
You should not use this medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to fluoride.
Warnings
If you are pregnant or breast feeding, talk to your doctor before taking this medicine.
Too much fluoride can cause white patches or yellow or brown spots on the teeth. If this happens, stop using the medicine and call your doctor.
You should not use this medicine more often or in larger amounts than your doctor ordered.
Possible side effects
Summary More details
Call your doctor right away if you notice any of these side effects:
Black, tarry, or bloody stools or bloody vomit.
Painful or aching bones.
Sores on mouth or lips.
If you notice these less serious side effects, talk with your doctor:
Acne-like skin changes.
Stomach cramps, nausea, or vomiting.
If you notice other side effects that you think are caused by this medicine, tell your doctor.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
More side effects of this drug
Brand names include
APF Gel, Act Anticavity, Act Braces Care, Act Kids, Act Restoring, Act Total Care, Act Total Care Dry Mouth, Act Total Care Sensitive, Aquafresh, CaviRinse, Control Rx, Denta 5000 Plus, Dentagel, Dentall 1100 Plus, EtheDent, Fluor-A-Day, Fluorabon, Fluoridex Daily Defense, Fluoridex Daily Defense Enhanced Whitening, Fluoritab, Fluorosol, Flura-Drops, Koala Pals Fluoride Tooth Gel – Berrylicious Flavor, Listerine HealthyWhite, Listerine Naturals with Fluoride, Listerine Restoring, Listerine Smart Rinse, Pdf, Pedi-Dent
There may be other brand names for this medicine.
