Do you need fluoride treatment after a teeth cleaning? Dental experts weigh in

When Tristen Boyer recently had a couple of cavities filled, her dentist suggested she get fluoride treatment afterward. She has Crohn’s disease, which puts her at increased risk for tooth decay.

"It’s something I felt like I should get done,” the 22-year-old University of Kentucky student said. “It’s something I’m going to keep doing.”

Dentists and hygienists often propose fluoride treatments to patients in the dental chair to prevent cavities and strengthen teeth. But the relatively simple procedure – which involves applying a varnish, gel or foam directly to the teeth – isn’t always covered by insurance, especially for adults.

So when is it worth getting? Here are some ways to figure that out.

If there's a high risk of tooth decay, then professional fluoride treatments can help.

But if “you haven’t seen any decay in years, you’re probably OK. What you’re doing at home is probably enough,” said Dr. Robert Weyant at the University of Pittsburgh.

Besides looking at cavity history, your dentist may also ask about risky behaviors, such as drinking lots of soft drinks, and your oral health regimen.

Patients “who don’t have access to fluoridated water, don’t use fluoridated toothpaste or don’t floss regularly” may be good candidates for fluoride treatments, said Dr. Alex Daniel of Johns Hopkins University.

Treatments may also benefit certain groups more than others. Women in menopause, for example, experience hormonal changes that can lead to oral health problems. And people taking certain medications can get dry mouth, which means fewer bacteria-killing enzymes and potentially more decay.

For patients deemed to be at risk, dentists generally recommend treatments every three, six or 12 months.

Dental fluoride prevents decay by helping tooth enamel – the hard outer layer of the tooth – better resist acid caused by bacteria in the mouth.

“Acid dissolves away tooth enamel, which weakens it – which is what makes cavities," said Ohio dentist Dr. Matthew Messina, a spokesman for the American Dental Association.

Fluoride, a mineral, strengthens the enamel, making it harder.

The scientific evidence behind fluoride treatments is stronger for children than adults. But whether the benefit is stronger for kids is uncertain, Weyant said, because there hasn’t been as much research in adults.

Dentists said there are no safety concerns about the treatment. The only real side effect is an uncommon one called fluorosis, a cosmetic discoloration of the teeth if someone gets a little too much fluoride.

Dental experts acknowledged that recent opposition to fluoride in drinking water by some — including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation's new health and human services secretary —may give some people pause. But even if you use fluoride toothpaste, drink fluoridated water and get occasional in-office fluoride treatments, dentists said you’re getting a relatively small amount of the mineral that poses no danger.

Fluoride treatments cost anywhere from around $25 to $55. Though many insurers cover the cost for kids, adults generally pay out of pocket.

Boyer, who used to get the treatments as a child, paid $30 for her first adult treatment. Though she wishes it was covered by insurance, she said that's a small price to pay to prevent decay, expensive dental procedures and possible tooth loss.

“We only have one set of teeth,” she said. “The longer you can keep them, the longer you should.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Alexander Daniel, DDS, photographed at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alexander Daniel, DDS, photographed at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alexander Daniel, DDS, photographed at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alexander Daniel, DDS, holds a sample of fluoride at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alexander Daniel, DDS, left, demonstrates fluoride treatment on resident Cameron Onken, right, at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alexander Daniel, DDS, left, demonstrates fluoride treatment on resident Cameron Onken, right, at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Alexander Daniel, DDS, left, demonstrates fluoride treatment on resident Cameron Onken, right, at the Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center, Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)