FLUORIDE FACTS

Fluoride- How does it work?

Fluoride is a natural element that can be found in many things, like the water we drink and the food we eat. In the 1930's, scientists began to notice that children who lived in places where fluoride occurred naturally in the water, had fewer dental cavities.

Fluoride was added to public drinking water in the late 1940's and 1950's in many communities. Fluoride that is absorbed by your body is used by the cells that build your teeth to make stronger enamel. Topical fluoride - fluoride that is applied to the outside of the enamel - makes the crystals that form enamel more durable. Tooth enamel crystals that have fluoride are much more resistant to acid. They are less likely to breakdown and cause the tooth surface to become porous.

If your dentist recommends a fluoride treatment during your next dental visit, you'll be receiving topical protection. The fluoride your dentist puts in your mouth will help make the crystals in your tooth enamel stronger. Always use a toothpaste with fluoride. Look for the American or Canadian Dental Association seal of approval on the toothpaste tube in your bathroom.

Can Fluoride be bad for my Teeth?

Fluoride can cause dull discoloration of the teeth when taken in excessive amounts. This does not weaken the teeth but does cause cosmetic problems. Excess fluoride is virtually never a problem unless a person is consuming excessive fluoride preparations (usually swallowing fluoride rinse solutions). Fluoridation levels may vary considerably among local towns and cities in the United States.

In cities having high enough fluoride amounts in the drinking water extra fluoride should not be taken. Persons not drinking tap water may need additional fluoride supplementation in addition to regular tooth paste.

Despite claims by certain extremist, fluoride has never been shown to cause cancer or other serious medical problems in over 50 years of large scale use in public drinking water. It has greatly decreased the rate of tooth decay in areas it is used.

Important points to remember about fluoride

Fluoridation is considered beneficial by the overwhelming majority of the health and scientific communities as well as the general public.
Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. All ground and surface water in the U.S. contains some naturally occurring fluoride. If a community's water supply is fluoride-deficient (less than 0.7 parts fluoride per million parts water) fluoridation simply adjusts the fluoride's natural level, bringing it to the level recommended for decay prevention (0.7-1.2 parts per million).
Fluoridation is a community health measure that benefits children and adults. Simply by drinking optimally fluoridated water, members of a community benefit, regardless of income, education or ethnicity Ñ not just those with access to dental care.
Fluoridation protects over 360 million people in approximately 60 countries worldwide, with over 10,000 communities and 145 million people in the United States alone.
As with other nutrients, fluoride is safe and effective when used and consumed properly. From time to time, opponents of fluoridation have questioned its safety and effectiveness. None of these charges has ever been substantiated by generally accepted science. After 50 years of research and practical experience, the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence indicates that fluoridation of community water supplies is both safe and effective.
Just fifty cents per person per year covers the cost of fluoridation in an average community. Over a lifetime, that is the approximate price of one dental filling, making fluoridation very cost effective.
Public opinion polls consistently show an overwhelming majority of Americans support water fluoridation.

Other Sources

1. For more comprehensive review of fluoride visit the ADA (American Dental Association) at:

http://www.ada.org/consumer/fluoride/facts/public.html

This link is the online version of the ADA's publication "FLUORIDE FACTS" and is well worth reading for viewers wishing to learn more about the benefits and safety record of community fluoridation.

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