What You Need to Know About the Role of Fluoride in Water

There is a lot of misinformation about the role of fluoride in water

. Fluoride was added to public water supplies with the intention of preventing cavities. Studies have shown that when fluoridated water passes into the mouth, fluoride will remain in the saliva. This will help protect tooth enamel and fight cavities.The motivation for a government adding fluoride to the public water supply is straightforward enough. They wanted to protect the citizens from the common health hazard and long-term costliness of cavities. For about a dollar per person per year in the United States, public water supplies help prevent a frequent dental illness.Water is not the only way that fluoride can be delivered to teeth, however. Fluoride treatments (in the form of a rinse) are most common in dental offices, but many toothpastes also have protective fluoride. Salt and milk also sometimes contain fluoride. However, adding fluoride to water was the best way to apply treatment to a large population that might not otherwise have access to regular dental care.Fluoride in water comes with some highly publicized risks, especially for children. Since fluoride has been shown to prevent tooth decay, fluoride treatments that are given to children have to be adjust for the natural levels of fluoride in the water. Too much fluoride can cause a condition called Fluorosis, which discolors teeth and can even cause pits and cracks in teeth with overexposure.The younger the child is, the less fluoride they need. Small children have, on occasion, contracted fluoride toxicity as a result of overexposure, causing stomach flu-like symptoms. Preventing this can be as simple as placing all fluoride-related products out of reach and monitoring the use of toothpaste.As mentioned, however, fluoride in water can occur in non-intended ways. When it happens naturally, elemental fluoride binds to minerals in sediment and dissolves in the water. Similarly, some chemicals containing fluoride may leach into groundwater unintentionally. This is particularly dangerous, since long-term overexposure can cause the fluorosis condition to occur in one's bones. Skeletal fluorosis can cause damage to bones (especially joints) and, resultantly, cause pain.Avoiding fluoride isn't always as simple as it may seem, even with water tests. Believe it or not, some bottled water can also contain fluoride. One simple way of limiting exposure to fluoride, however, is the use of a water filtration system. Water filters allow people to better control their fluoride intake. They're one more step in maintaining awareness over what goes into one's own body.

What You Need to Know About the Role of Fluoride in Water

By: V K Rajagopalan

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