Does it Help or Hurt?

One reason I can’t stand turning on the evening news is that it seems like every day there’s a groundbreaking announcement that something we thought was healthy is actually killing us or that something we’d denounced as a society is actually really good for us.

Butter was once considered as dangerous as a poisonous snake but now people are telling us to stir the stuff into our morning coffee. What gives?

Even the most health-conscious among us can hardly keep up with what we should and shouldn’t be doing to take care of ourselves.

One of these things people never seem to be sure about is fluoride.

We know it’s in the water and we get concentrated treatments of it at the dentist but some say it’s not good for you. Let’s explore what the real story is.

What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral that we see in common substances like soil, water and some foods. Interesting fact: fluoride is the 13^th most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. So, it does occur naturally and is not a cooked-up lab chemical.

However, the fluoride that is added to public water supplies and put in oral care products, like toothpaste and mouthwash, is created in a lab.

What does it do for teeth?

The demineralization of teeth is caused by acid that naturally builds up in the mouth every single day—no matter what you eat or how well you brush. Fluoride helps prevent cavities and erosion of enamel by halting that demineralization process—it’s even been known to undo some damage that’s already been done.

A little history.

The theory that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay began taking shape in the early 20^th century when a young dentist named Frederick McKay moved from the East Coast to Colorado, where he discovered a populace with horribly stained, brown teeth.

The weird thing was, despite their unattractive appearance, these brown teeth were unusually resistant to decay.

Other incidents of these curiously brown teeth began popping up in different areas of the country, leading McKay to do further research and finally discover that the cause was the large amounts of fluoride in each area’s water supply.

This excess of fluoride caused the brown teeth is known as fluorosis.

More experiments led scientists to discover that water with just the right amount of fluoride in it would give teeth the desirable resistance to decay without causing the unsightly brown stains. The next logical step was to begin standardizing fluoride levels in the whole country’s drinking water.

They started by experimenting in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1945 and found that fluoridating the water brought cavity rates in kids down a whopping 60%.

By 1951 public water fluoridation was public policy.

The Pros.

Today about ⅔  of Americans have fluoridated drinking water. The reason that many people support water fluoridation is because helps everyone avoid cavities—this is beneficial for underprivileged children who may not be receiving regular dental care.

Essentially, it’s a mass preventative health measure provided by our government. Furthermore, it’s been given the official stamp of approval by organizations such as the American Medical Association, the Center for Disease Control and the American Dental Association.

In fact, the CDC included the fluoridation of water in the top 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20^th century.

For such a widespread health measure, it’s very cost-effective. In large communities, the cost per person, per year can be as little as 31¢. Compared to other preventative or curative oral health measures, that’s pretty darn cheap.  According to the CDC, water fluoridation saved $39 billion in dental care costs over the course of just 10 years.

The Cons.

Despite what’s known about the health benefits of fluoride, there are many opponents who have a variety of reasons for opposing it. Some say that it isn’t ethical for the government to force fluoride on people without giving them the choice.

Furthermore—they say—fluoride is now readily available in toothpaste, which wasn’t true when public water fluoridation began. Now that we know fluoride works topically treatments are provided at the dentist’s office.

Opponents also point to various health issues which have been linked to fluoride. These are linked to larger amounts of fluoride than what’s found in our water systems. Organizations that fight against fluoridation argue that we can’t control the amount of water people drink, so we can’t regulate the amount of fluoride they ingest either.

The verdict.

Currently, the decision to fluoridate a community’s water is made on the state and local level, so it’s not an automatic given for every town or city.

In fact, Portland is one city that has said no to adding fluoride to public drinking water.

Ultimately, individuals can avoid fluoridated water if it’s something they’re very passionate about.

But if fluoride is removed from public drinking water, it may be difficult for some to replace.

In my professional dental opinion, fluoride offers more benefits than drawbacks and helps millions of children maintain good oral health and avoid unnecessary tooth decay early in life.

I can understand having an issue with the principle of applying a health measure to the general public regardless of each person’s consent.

But when it’s one that does so much good and offers little proof of harm it’s hard to find fault.

~

Love elephant and want to go steady?

Sign up for our (curated) daily and weekly newsletters!

~

~

Editor: Ashleigh Hitchcock

Photo: courtesy of the author