Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? Fluoride. Sure, it seems pretty benign but for some people, this can be a bit of a touchy subject. There’s a lot of information out there about fluoride — some true, some not so much.
On top of that confusion, there’s the additional confusion over whether fluoride is safe for kids, and if so, how much is safe. We have a lot of patients bring this up during their appointment so we thought we’d tackle the subject here on our blog!
What is Fluoride?
First, it’s important to understand what the heck fluoride even is. Contrary to popular thought, it’s actually a naturally-occurring mineral that’s found in most water sources like lakes, rivers, and oceans. These days, we add it to our drinking water to bring the levels up to the point where they can actually make a noticeable difference in humans.
Before this started, kids had three times as many cavities as they do now. In fact, studies have shown that the fluoride in our water helps to prevent tooth decay in both children and adults at a rate of at least 25% consistently. This is not taking into account the fluoride we receive from other sources, like toothpaste and rinses.
How Does it Prevent Cavities?
So, how does it work? Fluoride actually strengthens the tooth’s enamel, making it more resistant to decay. If you already have weakened enamel or early signs of decay, fluoride can actually reverse it. Pretty cool, right?
Adding fluoride to the drinking water is an easy way to provide everyone with these benefits. For many people, this seems like a weird thing for communities to focus on, but according to the U.S. Surgeon General, over 50 million school hours are lost due to dental issues. Adding fluoride to the drinking water costs about a dollar per person per year, so it’s a very cost-effective way to keep everyone healthy and keep kids in school. Everyone wins!
Is it Safe?
This is the big question. As parents, we want to make sure we’re not exposing our kids to anything that isn’t 100% safe. It’s not just kids, though. My adult patients will often ask me whether it’s safe for them, too. Like I said, there’s a lot of information out there on both sides of the argument, so I understand why it’s so confusing.
My opinion is that fluoride is totally safe for adults, and safe for children over the age of 2-3 years old, as long as it is not being ingested. As soon as your child is old enough to spit out their toothpaste rather than swallow it, you’re okay to switch them to a toothpaste with fluoride. Still, only put a very small amount on their brush; about the size of a pea.
The fluoride levels in drinking water are absolutely safe and non-toxic. It’s important to understand, however, that fluoride in large doses can be toxic. This is why we give such a small amount to children!
According to the ADA, an adult weighing 155 pounds would have to drink 93 gallons of water to reach toxic levels of fluoride. It’s just not going to happen. Lots and lots of research has been done over the last 70+ years to make sure the fluoride in our water is safe and effective for everyone.
Do you have questions about this topic? Do you have any other dental-related questions for us? The awesome team at The Dental Boutique is always just a phone call or message away! Be sure to follow us over on Facebook and Instagram; those are our two favorite places to hang out online!
