Fluoride. It’s one of those mysterious medical ingredient words that everyone hears but few truly understand. Although this mineral is supposed to be good for teeth, it has no shortage of opponents.
What is the deal with fluoride, and what do you need to know as a consumer?
How Fluoride Works
Fluoride (commonly misspelled as flouride or fluroide) is a naturally-occurring mineral found in numerous environmental sources. It’s usually contained in soil and water sources, which are then taken up by plants and animals. Seafood and tea are good examples of everyday fluoride-containing foods.
This natural mineral protects teeth against decay in three ways.
Fluoride:
- Aids in tooth remineralization to shore up weak spots
- Replaces tooth molecules with more cavity-resistant structures
- Prevents cavity-causing bacteria from functioning normally
Teeth still in the stages of development are very sensitive to fluoride levels in the body. Once the teeth have erupted from the gums, they benefit from direct surface exposure to this powerful mineral.
Where Can You Find Fluoride?
One natural source of fluoride is likely to be your drinking water. This gets your teeth directly in contact with the nutrient. Many municipalities have local ordinances concerning fluoride levels in drinking water. Check with the CDC or you municipal water district to find out the exact levels contained in your tap water.
Infants and children who still have teeth developing beneath the gums benefit from moderate ingested amounts of fluoride, via drinking water. The mineral goes straight to the growing teeth and makes them strong from the inside-out, before they erupt. A water source with a fluoride content of about 0.7 ppm is considered ideal. Less than that, and some children may need a supplement in their bottle or at meal time.
After teeth have come through, they need regular fluoride exposure to keep them cavity-resistant. Most toothpastes contain a healthy amount of fluoride at around 1000-1500 ppm and brushing two or more times a day may provide all you need.
You can get fluoride in a variety of products. There’s Crest Cavity Protection, CloSYS Anticavity toothpaste, and even Opalescence Whitening to brighten your teeth while you strengthen them. Try Fluoridex Daily Defense Sensitivity Toothpaste if you have tooth sensitivity.
Need something a little stronger? To protect cavity-prone teeth, your dentist may prescribe a toothpaste formulated with up to 5000 ppm of fluoride. This allows your teeth to get the maximum benefit possible. It’s not necessary, however, for children or anyone who rarely gets cavities.
Dangers of Fluoride
For fluoride to have toxic effect, someone would have to eat a whole tube of toothpaste or more in one sitting. This means there’s no chance of getting sick from brushing your teeth two or three times a day. It’s similar to taking a daily vitamin supplement and eating all of the vitamins in one sitting.
Young children should be supervised in their use of fluoride-containing products, however. If they haven’t learned to spit out the toothpaste after brushing, they may swallow too much. Over time, the extremely high levels of fluoride-exposure can cause permanent staining in developing teeth.
Is Fluoride Really That Bad?
Because of the small risks, some folks vocally oppose the use of fluoride and call it a poison. But the reality is that fluoride, like any other mineral, can be dangerous in large amounts. Used in moderation, the benefits far outweigh the dangers.
It’s possible to have too much of a good thing like fluoride. Few though they are, the risks are there.
But when used as your dentist recommends, fluoride is perfectly safe. Its safety and efficacy have been tested over decades of research. Adults need just about a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on their brushes. Kids should have even less.
Follow your dentist’s directions for brushing and any supplemental fluoride use, and your family will have strong teeth and healthy bodies.
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