Myths and Facts About Fluoride
Mention the topic of fluoride in a room full of people and you’ll spur on some interesting conversation. Statements will fly like, “It’s unsafe to put fluoride in water”, “It causes dental fluorosis”, or even, “Fluoride causes bone cancer.”
It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of these wide claims.
But what is the truth? Is fluoride actually safe to use? Should we be putting it in our water supply? And what are the possible side-effects of too much fluoridation?
In this blog, we want to put everyone at ease. We’ll take an in-depth look at fluoride, busting the myths and shedding light on the facts with research-backed sources.
What is fluoride?
Fluoride is a naturally-occurring mineral in your teeth and bones — 99% of which is stored in your teeth. You can also find it throughout the natural world, in fresh and saltwater, soil, plants, rocks and even the air around us. There’s fluoride in many kinds of toothpaste, mouthwashes, some foods, and it’s also available as a treatment at your local dentist.
Dentists (like us at Peak Dental) promote the use of topical fluoride treatments because it inhibits dental cavities and leads to greater oral health.
How does fluoride work?
Fluoride is a powerful mineral that strengthens tooth enamel (the outer-most layer of our teeth) and makes teeth more resistant to decay. It is most effective when applied directly to the teeth and can even reverse damage that’s already begun.
The benefits of fluoride:
Enhances remineralization and rebuilds weakened tooth enamel
Protects enamel against demineralization (sugar is a big culprit of demineralization)
Reverses the early effects of tooth decay
Is it safe to put fluoride in water?
Many cities fluoridate public drinking water supplies as a dental health measure to prevent tooth decay, but it’s highly regulated. Here in Lethbridge, the city treats the drinking water supply with fluoride at a concentration of 0.7mg/L to 0.9mg/L, which is well below what’s considered safe by The Canadian Drinking Water Guideline — which is 1.5 mg/L.
This is done because its proven benefits far outweigh any possible side effects. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of missing or decaying teeth in 12-year old children plummeted by 68% from the late 1960s through to the early 1990s as the introduction of fluoridated water spread.
So, fluoridated water is safe to drink as long as the concentration is near the recommended amount.
Does fluoride have any negative side effects?
While there’s an optimal amount of fluoride that will strengthen teeth, there’s also the alternative side, when too much fluoride is ingested. Adverse health effects can occur like:
Weakened teeth
Dental fluorosis — which usually affects younger children whose teeth are still forming, and can negatively impact the healthy development of teeth. Some speculate that swallowing toothpaste is one of the main causes of dental fluorosis among children.
Though too much fluoride in drinking water is unlikely to happen with tightly-regulated government recommendations, it is possible in areas where the fluoride concentration is naturally higher due to the location (in India, Africa and China).
Fluoride was thought to have other negative side effects, like osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer). However, a recent study showed no link between the two and a later review came to the same conclusions.
Takeaway
Much like any treatment, fluoride is safe within recommended dosages and will help protect your teeth and keep them stronger and healthier. Be sure to check with your local city to see whether your drinking water is fluoridated (and at what concentration), and supervise small children to ensure they don’t ingest toothpaste as they brush their teeth.
At Peak Dental, we offer professional fluoride treatments with your routine teeth cleaning and periodontal maintenance, and we are happy to serve you!