Fluoride is a mineral substance that helps strengthen teeth and can help prevent dental decay, and is mostly found in our water supply and in our toothpaste.  Fluoride is added to the water supply of most urban and rural areas to help prevent dental decay and to help reduce dental care costs across the board. Unfortunately, when it comes to discussing fluoride’s health benefits, many myths pop up. Fluoride is a natural mineral found in phosphate rock, the same substance that we get phosphoric acid, a common ingredient in colas, from. Fluoridation of water supplies helps reduce dental decay and can help save people hundreds of dollars per year in dental costs. Just like adding iodine to salt and vitamin D to milk, adding fluoride to our water supply can help prevent health issues and is a crucial part of preventative care.

Fluoride can be found in almost all toothpaste and drinking water. In drinking water, the U.S. federal health officials recommended 0.7 parts per million for fluoride concentration. That means if you had a swimming pool the size of a football field that was ten feet deep, you’d only mix about two-thirds of a gallon of fluoride into the entire thing. That’s not a lot. This small amount can help prevent cavities and keep your teeth strong and healthy. Fluoride consumption is especially important for children, as it can strengthen their developing teeth. Scientific studies have not found a strong link between Fluoride and IQ issues in children, nor is it sourced from fertilizer or any other compound that may be considered dangerous to consume.

Fluoride is an incredibly safe mineral. Mild Fluorosis, a condition caused by high level of fluoride in the body, is a minor condition with no real effect on the body other than white spots on the teeth. While young children who consume large amounts of toothpaste are at a higher risk for Fluorosis, since toothpaste contains over one-thousand times more concentrated fluoride than our drinking water, almost all reported cases in the U.S. are mild. If your child does consume a large amount of toothpaste, it is important to contact poison control to ensure there are no adverse side effects. However, daily applications of toothpaste are beneficial to your oral health and are safe for use with children. Just like eating too much salt, too much of anything can be harmful to your health, which is why you should be careful to not ingest too much toothpaste.

By adding fluoride to our water supply, and by using fluoride toothpaste, we can help prevent cavities and dental decay in people across the United States in a cost-effective, safe way.

Here at Crossland Dental Associates, we are dedicated to serving families in the Mount Pleasant, SC area. If you have any questions about fluoride, healthy dental habits for children, or are concerned about your dental health, contact our office today. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have and to help you set up an appointment with our office today.

source(s): https://ilikemyteeth.org/fluoridation/fluoride-myths-facts/5/ and https://water.usgs.gov/edu/mgd.html