‘Fluoride Generation’ Can Expect A Life Without Losing Teeth To Disease, Decay

Dental science has advanced so far that most of the “fluoride generation” can expect a life without losing teeth to disease or decay, says Linda Niessen of the Baylor College of Dentistry.

Niessen, speaking Tuesday at a conference of the American Medical Association, said people born between 1946 and 1964 in the United States are the first generation to spend virtually their whole lives benefiting from fluoride.

The result, she said, has been a steep reduction in the number of people who lose teeth to decay.

And dental science, she said, has also learned to control periodontal, or gum disease, the other major cause of tooth loss.

“The dentures in the glass on the nightstand is not something that the baby boomers ever expect,” said Niessen.

Old age, she said, is no longer a reason to lose teeth.