Brand Names

Category

• Dental caries prophylactic
• Nutritional supplement, mineral

Description Drug

Fluoride - FLURE-idehas 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 fluorides may be added to the diet. Some children may require both dietary fluorides and topical fluoride treats by the dentist. Use of a fluoride toothpaste or rinse may be helpful as well.

Taking fluorides does not replace good dental habits. These include eating a good diet, brushing and flossing teeth often and having regular dental checkups.

Fluoride may also be using for other conditions as determined by your health care professional.

This drug is available only with a prescription, in the following dosage forms:

Oral
• Lozenges - USA and Canada
• Oral solution - USA and Canada
• Tablets - USA and Canada
• Chewable tablets - USA and Canada

Importance of Diet

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 few various ways.

For USA
• Recommended Dietary Allowances - RDAs are the amount of vitamins and minerals needed to provide for adequate nutrition in most healthy people. RDAs for a given nutrient may vary depending on a person's age, sex and physical condition - pregnancy.
• Daily Values - DVs are using 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 using 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 must 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.

Brand Names

Some commonly using brand names are:

In the USA

• Fluoritab
• Fluorodex
• Flura
• Flura-Drops
• Flura-Loz
• Karidium
• Luride
• Luride Lozi-Tabs
• Luride-SF Lozi-Tabs
• Pediafl
• Pharmaflur
• Pharmaflur 1.1
• Pharmaflur df
• Phos-Flur

In Canada

• Flozenges
• Fluor-A-Day
• Fluoritabs
• Fluorosol
• Karidium
• PDF
• Pedi-Dent
• Solu-Flur

Generic name product may be available in the USA and Canada.