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Dental Fluoride Safety

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), communities have been adding fluoride to their water supplies for more than 40 years. The ADA insists fluoridation is a safe, beneficial process, but there are many who disagree with that assertion.

  1. Benefits

    • Fluoride is touted as being able to prevent cavities and strengthen teeth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list fluoridation as one of the 10 greatest health achievements of the 20th century.

    Effects

    • Dental fluorosis is discoloration and damage to the teeth caused by intake of excess levels of fluoride. The ADA considers this a minor cosmetic effect of fluoridation. As far back as 1954, the Industrial Medicine & Surgery journal published a study that stated fluorosis is a sign of overdose of a poison (fluoride).

    Geography

    • A 1995 study published in Pediatric Dentistry revealed that of 708 schoolchildren participating in the study in Asheville, N.C., 75 percent had fluorosis. According to a study published in Issue 20 of Pediatric Dentistry in 1998, 69 percent of children in Boston had dental fluorosis ranging from mild to severe.

    Supporters

    • The ADA asserts that more than 100 professional organizations endorse fluoridation, including the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the International Association for Dental Research and the American Cancer Society

    Expert Insight

    • According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are no studies that prove the efficacy or safety of fluoride in preventing cavities. In 1985, the Environmental Protection Agency undertook studies to determine safe levels of fluoride to add to water. They concluded fluoride was toxic and did nothing to prevent cavaties when ingested. The EPA determined it was inappropriate to use the public water supply to disperse fluoride.

    Prevention

    • If you decide to remove fluoride from your drinking water, look for a reverse osmosis filter that specifically lists fluoride as one of the substances it removes.

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