Fluoride Drinking Water – Good or Bad?
Obviously, good parents want their children to have strong teeth. 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. To counteract this, many suggest that adding fluoride to public water will help. But this opinion is in no way unanimous.
Fluoride in various compounds may be found naturally in water. In fact, it is the 13th most common element in the Earth’s crust. The question is, when fluoride is not found naturally in water, should it be added? Studies have been made for decades and will continue. The purpose of this article is to consider both views and then present options. You need to know whether you need a fluoride water filter for your drinking water.
One side says, “Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20-40%.” “It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay.” These statements have the authority of a trained doctor. This one also: “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries.”
Those favoring the addition of fluoride in water claim that its presence combats tooth decay in two ways. First, it strengthens the developing teeth. Second, it also aids the surface of the teeth by preventing the acid produced by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing, tooth enamel. Fluoride also allows teeth damaged by acid to remineralize, or repair themselves. It won’t repair cavities, but it can reverse minor tooth decay and prevent new cavities from forming.
The other side makes statements like these: “. . . there is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas surveyed.” They even claim that increased amount of fluoride in children also increases tooth decay.
Too much fluoride during the years the teeth are developing can cause enamel fluorosis, a mottling or discoloration of the permanent teeth. To add fluoride to water, along with toothpaste and treatments can exceed the maximum level that is safe.
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.
What do they say about the studies that prove that fluoride is good for dental hygiene? The studies had several flaws. First, they did not consider the differences between “natural fluoride” (like CaF) and added fluoride (like NaF). Second, they did not consider the other minerals in the water and these could actually be the cause of decreased instances of tooth decay. Third, the studies lack statistical analysis. Fourth, dental fluorosis is the only safety experiment included.
If your conclusion from these points is that fluoride should not be in your drinking water, what can you if it is? Some opt for bottled water but this gets expensive. A better alternative is to purchase a water filter that removes fluoride. Some expensive units do this. Other less expensive units have optional fluoride filters. Berkey Water Filters, for example, has available an additional filter that can we attached below the regular charcoal filters and will remove fluoride from the water. If you don’t want fluoride, you don’t have to drink it.
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Tagged with: dangers of fluoride • fluoride drinking water • fluoride in the water • fluoride water
Filed under: Wellness
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