The foaming agent and the minty-freshness, that’s all fluff. Here are a few recent studies and scientific reviews in favor of fluoride: In 2015 the U.S. Public Health Service [PHS] lowered its recommended maximum sodium fluoride concentration in drinking water from 1.2 to 0.7 mg/L. Turchetta also advised pregnant women to consult their OBGYN about sodium fluoride. Remember that your dental care should be preventative, not reactive. It is especially important to monitor your children’s fluoride intake. Katzmark, who grew up in the small town of Cuero, Texas, noticed these stains on her molars and in patients with similar backgrounds. Dentists and public health officials are instructed, Gallico explained, to refer to water fluoridation as a simple adjustment of a naturally occurring mineral. Like the majority of Americans, you most likely use enough to cover the entire toothbrush, maybe more. What Is Fluoride and How Does It Work? Health, sustainability and people making an impact. Dentists eventually identified this symptom as part of fluorosis, a condition that is still prevalent today. There is some evidence fluoride may inhibit the growth of bacteria on teeth or limit their capacity for producing acid. You should keep in mind, though, that natural does not necessarily mean healthy, and vice versa. They’re your teeth, so do what you like. Your email address will not be published. Just so you know, I tended to be of the anti-fluoride camp until I read this article. How to use Sodium Fluoride 1.1 % Dental Gel Products. If you live in a such an area, take extra precautions to protect yourself or family members from the risk of fluorosis. To combat the effects of the acid, remineralization is all that matters, and only fluoride does it. And it also … Excess sugar consumption is the largest contributor to dental carries, according to the World Health Organization [WHO]. According to academics at McGill University in California, a rat “would have to drink roughly a hundred liters of fluoridated tap water before suffering the same fate if the water had the usual fluoride … It is unlikely that sodium fluoride ingestion contributes to the development of any type of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. For those who still want at least a bit of fluoride, there is always mouthwash. Fluoride is added to public drinking water to prevent tooth decay. “This sounds a lot less scary than the fact that they are purchasing hexafluorosilicic acid (a substance that eats through concrete) from a fertilizer plant and putting it in the water supply,” Gallico said. I appreciate it on that level. The goal of this article probably isn’t to convince you that fluoride is bad. Ha I was planning on bringing it to my dentist, too. Ron Welch, CEO of dental products company WELDENTAL, claimed that fluoride kills both harmful and beneficial bacteria, some of which is necessary for a healthy mouth. Using less fluoride toothpaste can reduce the risk of fluorosis, Okano said, not to mention the fact that it will save you money. It binds minerals — such as calcium and magnesium — to our enamel, the skin of our teeth. If you remember the Periodic Table of Elements from your high school biology class, you’ll understand right away why its chemical structure is abbreviated as “NaF.” Fluoride is a mineral that can be used for dental caries prevention, otosclerosis, and osteoporosis. People who are exposed to alarmingly high levels of sodium fluoride in their drinking water sources can invest in water filters and bottled water. This substance is ultimately converted to phosphate fertilizers that are valuable in the agriculture industry. The main point I got from the article was to not fear fluoride but manage the overall amount of fluoride you’re getting. If You Live in a Small Town or Rural Area, Be Extra Careful of Sodium Fluoride in Water. After years of more research, the National Institute of Health made a groundbreaking discovery: when administered at a certain concentration, fluoride seemed to reduce the rate of cavities without causing fluorosis. Studies have questioned whether putting fluoride in our water is safe or effective in reducing cavities. Every dentist sang its praises, the government poured a bit of it into most of our drinking water sources, and dental product manufacturers included it as the active ingredient in their toothpastes and mouthwashes. Nonetheless, sodium fluoride in our water has been a public health concern as well. If You Use Fluoride Toothpaste or Mouthwash, Reduce the Amount. Fluoride helps by interacting with hydroxyapatite to form a stronger compound that is less susceptible to acid attack. Bacteria that thrive on the sugars found in the mouth multiply on dental surfaces and produce acids. This renders the teeth more resistant to demineralization by changing the apatite crystal solubility. If you want to make an informed decision about your fluoride intake, it’s time to look at all the facts. Researchers need to produce much more evidence before making any conclusions, but the initial findings are still troubling. The substance then contributes to a process called remineralization. In this case, balance is a form of bias: the article presents two views as if each were equally valid, and it embeds certain language that fosters negative interpretations. Personal oral hygiene and dental caries: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials, Fluoride: A Review of Use and Effects on Health, The Effect of 0.2% Sodium Fluoride Mouthwash in Prevention of Dental Caries According to the DMFT Index, The preventive effectiveness in reducing tooth decay and decalcification of different concentration of fluoride toothpaste for orthodontic patients, adverse effects on neurological development in children, criticized xylitol and the research around it, Uniting Sustainable Entrepreneurs: An Interview with Meghan French Dunbar, Banning Plastic Straws: Sustainability and Compromise, Why We Donated Travel-Size Toiletries to the Skid Row Carnival of Love, Fluorosilicic acid [FSA] (sometimes referred to as hydroflurosilicate [HFS]: most common additive in water fluoridation, Sodium fluorosilicate: dry salt additive, made by neutralizing fluorosilicic acid with sodium chloride, Sodium fluoride: dry salt additive, can be made by adding. It’s not that the chemical is inherently dangerous. [A181670,A181694] Sodium fluoride inhibits the demineralization of teeth in … By using proper technique, you won’t need to rely as much on large amounts of toothpaste, and that means less fluoride. How Does Fluoride Work? The oldest is 30 yrs old and has never had a cavity. What most critics are concerned with is that consumers are ingesting too much fluoride, which can contribute to medical issues and diseases. – Using “Is Sodium Fluoride Linked to Cancer?” as a heading, a problem because most people skim articles and may come away pondering this as if it meant there were legitimate risk of fluoride causing cancer even though the follow-on content concedes there is not. There are now many brands of toothpaste that do not contain fluoride. In small doses it is completely harmless, and there is still plenty of evidence to suggest it can prevent tooth decay. Whether it’s becoming involved in local politics or simply buying products that reduce fluoride intake, you have the power to protect yourself and impact the issue. You might want to approach similar myths with a healthy skepticism. Caitlin Hoff, a CDC-certified Consumer Advocate at ConsumerSafety.org, suggested that people who are concerned with sodium fluoride ingestion should try to determine the concentration in their drinking water.

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