Is Fluoride Addition in Water Good?
By Samuel S. Peters | August 19, 2008
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Obviously, good parents want their children to have strong teeth. Yet, in spite of the improvements in dental care in recent years, a quarter of two to five year olds and half of children 12-15 have had one or more cavities. Further 2/3 of 16- to 19-year-olds have had dental problems. To counteract this, many suggest that adding fluoride to public water will help. Others say it will do more harm than good.
Fluorine in various compounds may be found naturally in water. In fact, it is the 13th most common element in the Earth’s crust. The question is, when fluoride is not found naturally in water, should it be added? Studies have been made for decades and will continue. The purpose of this article is to consider both views and then present options.
Consider these quotes: “It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay.” “Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20-40%.” These statements were made by a medical doctor. Here’s another: “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries.”
The pro side claims that fluoride combats tooth decay in two ways. First, it becomes part of the structure of developing teeth. Second, it also works when it comes in contact with the surface of the teeth. Fluoride prevents the acid produced by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing, tooth enamel, the hard and shiny substance that protects the teeth. Fluoride also allows teeth damaged by acid to repair, or remineralize, themselves. Fluoride cannot repair cavities, but it can reverse low levels of tooth decay and thus prevent new cavities from forming.
The other side makes statements like these: “. . . there is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas surveyed.” They even claim that increased amount of fluoride in children also increases tooth decay.
Too much fluoride before 8 years of age, a time when teeth are developing, can cause enamel fluorosis, a discoloration or mottling of the permanent teeth. Sometimes the amount of fluoride ingested from the water and then through toothpaste and dental treatments can be too much.
Symptoms of fluoride toxicity may begin 30 minutes after an overdose and last up to 24 hours. These symptoms include increased thirst, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or increased salivation.
What is the long range effect of fluoride in water? Those opposed to it being added to the water say it is linked to changes in bone structure and strength, inhibits key enzymes, has caused perinatal deaths and birth defects, has impaired the immune system, causes osteoarthritis, causes initial stages of skeletal fluorosis, suppresses thyroid function, and several other adverse problems. They say it even causes cancer.
What about the studies mentioned above proving that fluoride is good for dental hygiene? Opponents point out the studies had several flaws. First, they did not consider other minerals in the water that could have been the cause of decreased instances of tooth decay. Second, they did not consider the differences between “natural fluoride” (like CaF) and added fluoride (like NaF). Third, the conclusion had little or no statistical analysis. Fourth, it included no safety experiments except for dental fluorosis.
If you conclude that fluoride should not be in your drinking water, what can you do about it? You could buy bottled water but this is expensive. A better choice is to purchase a water filter that removes fluoride. Berkey, for example, has available an additional filter that can we attached to the regular charcoal filters and will remove fluoride from the water. You don’t have to ingest it if you don’t want to.
Topics: Nutrition |
Comments
« Clenbuterol’s Effect on Weightloss | Home | Contributing factors behind Gynecomastia »
