does the amount of fluoride in our water supply affect our dental health?

Question

This is a piece of research I am doing for college and am interested to find out what people know about the issue.

Answer 1

absolutely. but not in a good way.

Fluoride is an essential trace mineral in the human body and is pervasive in about every aspect of our world:

No matter what type we ingest or absorb, it all leads to body burden and can be toxic. Eventhough fluoride is essential for bones and teeth to grow and remain healthy, only topical applications have been shown to fight tooth decay.

There are different kinds of fluoride. The kind in water is a waste product from fertilizer plants, hydrofluorosilic fluoride:

See below for info on the water fluoridation scam and what happens when we get too much fluoride. Here is an excerpt:

“Hydrofluorosilic acid does not occur in nature,” said Connett. “Naturally occurring fluoride has calcium that combines with the fluoride. It’s pure fluoride, not this waste. You wouldn’t use industrial grade to put fluoride into toothpaste. Why should you put it into water? The only answer you get is because it’s cheap,” Connett said.

http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=858362

Answer 2

Fluoride is definitely beneficial for our teeth and I believe there are now a couple of water companies doing experiments to introduce it into their systems. East Anglia was the first to try a couple of years back I believe. One bad thing about fluoride is that it's bad for fish so I don't know what levels exactly the water authorities are able to introduce.

Answer 3

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Every day, minerals are added to and lost from a tooth's enamel layer through two processes, demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are lost (demineralization) from a tooth's enamel layer when acids - formed from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth - attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium and phosphate are redeposited (remineralization) to the enamel layer from the foods and waters consumed. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel layer leads to tooth decay.

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. It also reverses early decay. In children under six years of age, fluoride becomes incorporated into the development of permanent teeth, making it difficult for acids to demineralize the teeth. Fluoride also helps speed remineralization as well as disrupts acid production in already erupted teeth of both children and adults.

It is certainly important for infants and children between the ages of 6 months and 16 years to be exposed to fluoride. These are the timeframes during which the primary and permanent teeth come in. However, adults benefit from fluoride too. New research indicates that topical fluoride - from toothpastes, mouth rinses, and fluoride treatments - are as important in fighting tooth decay as in strengthening developing teeth.

In addition, people with certain conditions may be at increased risk of tooth decay and would therefore benefit from additional fluoride treatment. They include people with:

Answer 4

Funny you should ask, I was at the dentist today with my 2 year old daughter and he told me because our water has fluoride in it to not use tooth past with fluoride in it because it will cause her adult teeth to come in with white spots all over them (fluorosis) This probably doesn't apply to adults because they don't swallow toothpaste but when I am brushing my daughters teeth she swallows a little, so too much fluoride as a child can cause your adult teeth to have problems.

Answer 5

Yes, too much can cause flourosis and too little can cause your teeth to be weak. We have flouride added to our tap water, and our dentist still gives my son a flouride treatment at the office. We had to add it to our well water when he was small and the dentist has him brush with flouride toothpaste.

Answer 6

some dentists think that people who drink tap water (with fluoride) have stronger teeth than those who drink only bottled water

Answer 7

Wow i was actually wondering this myself! Sorry cant help u out but be interesyed to see what people say!

Answer 8

I think that's why they put flouride in the water.

Answer 9

there is no fluroride in our water! "yet"