Good strong teeth in a child is a priority to conscientious parents. Yet, in spite of the advancements in dental care, more than one fourth of two to five year-olds and half of kids 12 to 15 have one or more cavities. Many feel that adding fluoride to public water is one way to curb the problem of tooth decay. Others strongly disagree.
Fluoride is the 13th most common element in the Earth’s crust and exists naturally in water. Some water has sufficient natural fluoride. But what if it is not naturally present? Should fluoride be added to water systems? The debate about fluoride won’t be settled here. Rather, the purpose of this article is to consider a few of these points, and to give you some options. Do you need fluoride water filters for your drinking water?
The pro side says, “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries.” “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 quotes come from an MD.
The pro side says that fluoride decreases tooth decay in two ways. It works when it comes in contact with the surface of the teeth by preventing the acid made by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing, tooth enamel. Second, it becomes part of the structure of developing teeth in children. Fluoride also encourages teeth damaged by acid to remineralize themselves. It can’t fix decayed teeth but can prevent new decay from occurring.
On the other hand we have quotes like this: “. . . there is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas surveyed.” Indeed, some studies, they say, show that the more fluoride children ingest, the higher their risk of dental decay.
Fluorosis, a discoloration or mottling of the permanent teeth results when children 8 years of age or younger take in too much fluoride. During these years teeth are forming. To add fluoride to water along with what children get in toothpaste and dental treatments might well exceed this limit.
At times the studies have not considered the long range effects of fluoride. The con side says it has been directly linked to cancer, changes in bone structure and strength, has caused birth defects and perinatal deaths, has impaired the immune system, caused initial stages of skeletal fluorosis, caused osteoarthritis, inhibits key enzymes, suppresses thyroid function and several other adverse problems.
How do opponents answer to evidence mentioned above that fluoride is good for dental hygiene? They say the studies are flawed in several ways. First, the studies did not consider the fact that other minerals were in the water and they might have been the real factor in decreased instances of tooth decay. Second, they failed to differentiate between “natural fluoride” (like CaF) and added fluoride (like NaF). Third, the studies lacked statistical proof. Fourth, only dental fluorosis was included as safety experiments.
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. The Berkey Filters, for example, has available an additional filter that can be 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.
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