WEBVTT 1 00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:20.600 This film was made possible by a grant from the Colgate-Palmolive Company, worldwide leaders 2 00:00:20.600 --> 00:00:23.080 in dental research and oral care products. 3 00:00:25.620 --> 00:00:32.440 There's something very special about a smile. Smiles help make us unique as individuals, 4 00:00:32.600 --> 00:00:39.620 and when you think of the positive effect they have upon our lives, a natural healthy smile is 5 00:00:39.620 --> 00:00:45.040 one of the most valuable assets we can have, and certainly one we want to keep. 6 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:59.460 When you look at a smile like that, who would ever guess you were looking at a scene of battle, 7 00:01:00.120 --> 00:01:05.780 one that has gone on ever since the time of primitive man. The battleground is in the human 8 00:01:05.780 --> 00:01:13.380 mouth. On one side, the teeth made up of millions and millions of microscopic mineral crystals. On 9 00:01:13.380 --> 00:01:20.140 the other, acid-forming bacteria trying to break down the crystals to cause tooth decay. For thousands 10 00:01:20.140 --> 00:01:26.280 of years, the bacteria were winning this war, and a smile more often than not revealed teeth that 11 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:33.340 were decayed, discolored, or missing altogether. In fact, this painful, often disfiguring disease 12 00:01:33.340 --> 00:01:40.980 is the most prevalent of all human illnesses. Then about 50 years ago, scientists began to 13 00:01:40.980 --> 00:01:48.420 understand the effect on tooth decay of a colorless, odorless, tasteless mineral called fluoride. 14 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:06.020 This magnificent mineral has already prevented billions of cavities. 15 00:02:06.020 --> 00:02:12.860 Yet perhaps because the benefits of fluoride came gradually at first, most of us don't realize how 16 00:02:12.860 --> 00:02:18.260 much it has contributed to the health and well-being of hundreds of millions of people. 17 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:24.080 To appreciate the importance of fluoride, we first have to look at the tooth itself. 18 00:02:25.080 --> 00:02:30.300 The tooth's outer surface, called the enamel, is the hardest substance in the human body, 19 00:02:30.300 --> 00:02:33.820 but this appearance of strength and stability is an illusion. 20 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:39.800 Seen under a scanning electron microscope magnified more than a thousand times, 21 00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:46.700 this enamel cross-section is revealed as a porous substance composed of millions of tiny mineral 22 00:02:46.700 --> 00:02:53.540 crystals. The crystals are susceptible to tooth decay, which starts when we eat carbohydrates, 23 00:02:53.860 --> 00:03:00.040 particularly sugars. That's because the bacteria, living in a sticky film on the teeth called plaque, 24 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:08.100 use these sugars for food, producing acids as a byproduct. The acids attack the tooth, dissolving 25 00:03:08.100 --> 00:03:14.360 some of the mineral crystals just beneath the surface in a gradual process known as demineralization, 26 00:03:15.040 --> 00:03:21.700 another name for early tooth decay. The reverse of this tooth decay process is called remineralization, 27 00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:26.500 in which minerals from the saliva rebuild the enamel the acid has dissolved. 28 00:03:27.900 --> 00:03:34.140 Demineralization and remineralization are going on all the time, like the action of waves on a 29 00:03:34.140 --> 00:03:41.600 shoreline, building up on the one hand, wearing down on the other. Sometimes the enamel just below 30 00:03:41.600 --> 00:03:48.740 the surface is dissolved faster than it is built up. The result is decay, at first invisible to the 31 00:03:48.740 --> 00:03:55.760 eye, but if the decay is allowed to progress, the surface collapses to form a visible full-fledged 32 00:03:55.760 --> 00:04:04.200 cavity. Fluoride plays a key role in the remineralization of our teeth. We've known for a 33 00:04:04.200 --> 00:04:11.020 long time that fluoride helped to prevent decay, both by making the enamel more acid resistant 34 00:04:11.020 --> 00:04:18.440 and by inhibiting the production of acid by bacteria. Recently, our research has shown that 35 00:04:18.440 --> 00:04:24.400 fluoride does even more. By enhancing the rebuilding of demineralized enamel, 36 00:04:24.840 --> 00:04:32.440 fluoride actually helps reverse the decay process. Ultimately, fluoride makes the enamel stronger 37 00:04:32.440 --> 00:04:39.640 and more acid resistant than it was originally. It all began in the 40s and 50s when it was 38 00:04:39.640 --> 00:04:44.400 discovered that people who lived in certain communities had far less decay than most other 39 00:04:44.400 --> 00:04:49.620 people. Long-term studies proved that the presence of fluoride in their water supplies 40 00:04:49.620 --> 00:04:55.520 was responsible for the reduction in tooth decay. What does all this mean to Eddie and his family? 41 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:02.420 It means that the children may never have a cavity, and it means all of them may have healthier teeth 42 00:05:02.420 --> 00:05:09.580 as long as they live, thanks to the widespread use of fluoride. All water contains some fluoride, 43 00:05:09.580 --> 00:05:16.500 but most water doesn't have enough naturally occurring fluoride to help stop decay. Scientists 44 00:05:16.500 --> 00:05:22.040 have found that raising the level of fluoride slightly to about one part of fluoride per 45 00:05:22.040 --> 00:05:29.240 million parts of water is extremely effective in the prevention of tooth decay. Today, Eddie is 46 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:34.160 lucky enough to live in a community with a fluoridated water system. We've lived here for 47 00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:39.580 10 years since before Eddie was born, and I'm sure the waters had a great effect on his teeth. 48 00:05:40.860 --> 00:05:47.000 Isn't that right, Eddie? See, Grandpa? My teeth certainly weren't like Eddie's at his age. 49 00:05:48.700 --> 00:05:54.200 Every time Eddie takes a drink of water, a tiny amount of fluoride from the water is absorbed 50 00:05:54.200 --> 00:06:01.020 into the body and is circulated to his developing teeth. We call this way of delivering fluoride 51 00:06:01.020 --> 00:06:07.780 systemic fluoride. Since birth, Eddie, like many children, has been drinking fluoridated water. 52 00:06:08.500 --> 00:06:13.560 His teeth were absorbing fluoride for many years before they erupted, making his tooth 53 00:06:13.560 --> 00:06:20.540 enamel more resistant to acid attack. Studies show a 50 to 65 percent reduction in the number 54 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:26.280 of cavities among children like Eddie compared with children who did not have fluoridated water. 55 00:06:27.280 --> 00:06:33.060 But what about the billions of people throughout the world, including more than 100 million people 56 00:06:33.060 --> 00:06:37.840 in the United States alone, who live in communities without water fluoridation? 57 00:06:38.740 --> 00:06:42.660 Carla lives in a smaller town where there is no municipal water supply. 58 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:53.360 But Carla is fortunate because her school is one of about 500 in the United States 59 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:55.780 with its own fluoridated water system. 60 00:06:58.100 --> 00:07:03.120 The water you drink here at school is fluoridated at a higher level than water in fluoridated 61 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:08.600 communities. That's because here at school you're only drinking fluoridated water part time. 62 00:07:09.980 --> 00:07:14.000 Yes, Carla? But what if our school didn't have any fluoride in the water? 63 00:07:14.520 --> 00:07:20.620 Well, some schools have other kinds of systemic fluoride, like fluoride tablets. The kids just chew 64 00:07:20.620 --> 00:07:27.940 them up, swish around like a rinse, and swallow. Very often, children in non-fluoridated areas 65 00:07:27.940 --> 00:07:34.060 can take fluoride supplements at home. Physicians and dentists prescribe fluoride drops for infants 66 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:40.420 and the tablets for older children. So far, we've been talking only about systemic fluoride, 67 00:07:40.560 --> 00:07:50.600 but in addition to being absorbed systemically, fluoride can also be applied directly to the 68 00:07:50.600 --> 00:07:57.400 mouth. Brushing every day with a fluoride toothpaste and rinsing regularly with a fluoride 69 00:07:57.400 --> 00:08:08.380 mouth rinse are important surface applications. In our school, we give a mouth rinse with slightly 70 00:08:08.380 --> 00:08:15.720 more fluoride to the children once a week. Ready, class? Begin. They're among an estimated 10 million 71 00:08:15.720 --> 00:08:23.760 children now using a weekly mouth rinse in schools. Application of a fluoride solution or gel by a 72 00:08:23.760 --> 00:08:30.780 dentist or hygienist is another important source of fluoride for tooth surfaces. Open wider, Eddie. 73 00:08:32.900 --> 00:08:36.440 You know, you've really been taking care of your teeth. Thank you. 74 00:08:40.800 --> 00:08:44.580 Both systemic and surface fluoride have had a major effect on oral health. 75 00:08:44.580 --> 00:08:50.180 Eddie's a great example. Good boy, Eddie. We'll see you in about six more months, huh? 76 00:08:50.520 --> 00:08:56.780 Okay. Keep up the good work. Getting fluoride both at home and at school has had its effect on Carla's 77 00:08:56.780 --> 00:09:05.620 teeth as well. Oh, Carla, do you know how I know fluoride is working? How? Just by looking at your 78 00:09:05.620 --> 00:09:13.520 smile. As important as fluoride is to children, it's a common misconception that fluoride is 79 00:09:13.520 --> 00:09:20.680 only for them. Not true. For example, fluoride is part of the reason why Eddie's grandfather at age 80 00:09:20.680 --> 00:09:26.760 60 still has teeth in good condition, and to keep them that way, he needs to continue using 81 00:09:26.760 --> 00:09:33.740 fluoride at home and to visit the dental office regularly. Often, adults have receding gums, 82 00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:40.080 which can expose the root surfaces of their teeth. These surfaces can become extremely sensitive to 83 00:09:40.200 --> 00:09:46.300 heat, cold, and pressure, and they're also vulnerable to root surface decay. There's some 84 00:09:46.300 --> 00:09:52.700 evidence to suggest that surface fluorides can help both of these conditions. Fluoride is also 85 00:09:52.700 --> 00:10:00.020 a proven aid in helping to treat other disorders. Fluoride can help to prevent rampant tooth decay 86 00:10:00.020 --> 00:10:06.520 caused by xerostomia or dryness of the mouth, a lack of saliva associated with some cancer treatments, 87 00:10:06.520 --> 00:10:13.400 also produced by certain medicines. Much larger amounts of fluoride show promise as a possible 88 00:10:13.400 --> 00:10:20.680 treatment for osteoporosis or calcium loss of the bone, a condition responsible for many fractures 89 00:10:20.680 --> 00:10:27.860 in the elderly, especially women. Researchers at the National Institute of Dental Research and 90 00:10:27.860 --> 00:10:33.180 elsewhere are finding new ways of applying fluoride and helping us to better understand 91 00:10:33.180 --> 00:10:40.240 how fluoride works. In the past, we accepted tooth decay and its consequences as inevitable. 92 00:10:41.160 --> 00:10:48.220 Today, thanks to fluoride, we know this needn't be true. Yet there are millions of people in this 93 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:55.740 country and billions outside it who are still without the benefits of fluoride. Fluoride has 94 00:10:55.740 --> 00:11:02.660 proved its value to us during the last 50 years. We know that it strengthens enamel crystals against 95 00:11:02.660 --> 00:11:09.680 acid and even helps reduce the production of acid. And we know that fluoride can actually help 96 00:11:09.680 --> 00:11:16.900 reverse the decay process to restore the tooth to a healthy state. We know how to get it, 97 00:11:17.240 --> 00:11:24.300 systemically in fluoridated water or in fluoride drops or tablets, and also in surface applications, 98 00:11:24.760 --> 00:11:31.380 including fluoride toothpaste, mouth rinses, and fluoride treatments. We know that we need both 99 00:11:31.380 --> 00:11:39.400 systemic fluoride from birth and surface applied fluoride on erupted teeth. We also need to see our 100 00:11:39.400 --> 00:11:46.480 dentist regularly, take care of our teeth at home, and cut down on sweets. And with fluoride as our 101 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:50.820 strongest weapon, we can help win the battle against cavities. 102 00:11:51.520 --> 00:11:54.440 Grandpa, what does a cavity really feel like? 103 00:11:54.520 --> 00:11:57.940 You know something, Eddie? I don't think you're ever gonna find that out. 104 00:12:00.700 --> 00:12:08.440 If we keep using fluoride all our lives, someday a cavity may only be a word in a history book, 105 00:12:08.760 --> 00:12:15.540 and everyone will have a better chance of having a healthy, natural, beautiful smile.