The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) supports the appropriate use of fluoride in daily dental care products and preventive treatments. More than 50 years of extensive research shows that fluoride is safe and effective in preventing tooth decay.
Dental organizations worldwide even support community water fluoridation, as countless studies show that maintaining healthy fluoride levels in community water systems is safe, cost-effective, and beneficial to all residents, from children to adults.
However, there are still many speculations regarding the use of fluoride. Most of the misconceptions about fluoride focus on its negative effect. These myths surrounding fluoride have made many people uncertain about its use.
How Fluoride Fights For Your Teeth
Dentists make a big deal about fluoride and how good it is for your teeth. Indeed, fluoride helps your teeth stay healthy and strong — but how?
The bacteria in plaque produce acids that seep into your tooth enamel and break it down. This causes cavities over time. Whereas plaque breaks down the tooth, it’s the fluoride that builds it up. Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and in water. It:
- Helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth
- Speeds up tooth remineralization as well as disrupts acid production in an already erupted teeth for both children and adults
Fluoride Myths
Now, let’s debunk common fluoride myths and discover the truth behind this naturally occurring mineral that is found in our water and food:
Myth: Fluoride is not natural
Fact: Certain levels of fluoride can be found naturally in our bones and teeth, as well as in rocks, plants, the soil, surface water, and groundwater. Naturally occurring fluoride in water supplies is rich in calcium fluoride, which is beneficial to our teeth when taken in the right amount.
Myth: Fluoride is poison
Fact: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the USA defines FLUORINE, not fluoride, as hazardous waste. Fluorine is the element where fluoride comes from, but fluoride is not made entirely of fluorine. Still, however, excess fluoride intake can have detrimental side effects on one’s body.
Myth: Fluoride is more toxic than lead and just slightly less toxic than arsenic
Fact: Associating the minuscule amount of fluoride in optimally fluoridated water with the toxicity of arsenic and lead is entirely misleading. According to a study, both fluoride and caffeine have a toxicity rating of 4 (Very Toxic). Substances at this classification are toxic to humans at the level of 50 to 500 mg/kg.
So you would have to ingest over 6,000 litres of optimally fluoridated water in a short period of time to even reach the threshold of toxicity of fluoride. As one can clearly see, the level of daily fluoride intake is so small that a comparison of toxicity ratings is entirely irrelevant to optimally fluoridated water.
Myth: Fluoride is a medication
Fact: Fluoride has been recognized as an important nutrient for healthy teeth. It is a mineral. In the right amount, fluoride in drinking water will strengthen your teeth. It is also one of several examples of everyday products fortified to improve our health.
Fluoridation is also not medication. Fluoridation is simply a process that raises the level of fluoride already existing in water up to that concentration where maximum dental disease prevention will occur without having any adverse effects. Fluoridation just ensures that we obtain maximum benefit while doing so.
Myth: Fluoride added through water fluoridation is not the same as “naturally occurring fluoride”
Fact: Fluoride additives are not different from natural fluoride. Scientific studies demonstrate that the same fluoride ion is present in naturally occurring fluoride and in fluoride drinking water additives and that no intermediates or other products were observed at pH levels as low as 3.5.
Myth: People who drink fluoridated water will develop fluorosis
Fact: While this is not entirely wrong, this is also not completely right, either. Fluorosis occurs only when a person takes in very high amounts of fluoride. There are very minimal chances of developing fluorosis by consuming fluoridated water. When your consumption levels are moderate, you have nothing to worry about.
Myth: Fluoride is dangerous to children
Fact: When used as intended, fluoride is not a danger to children. Drinking fluoridated water not only helps strengthen their teeth as they grow but also helps prevent future tooth decay and loss at an early age. A study also confirmed that the fluoridated water consumed as a young child makes the loss of teeth caused by tooth decay less likely 40 or 50 years later when they’re already well into middle age.
Myth: Fluoridated water is not safe to use for babies.
Fact: As long as the fluoride in your drinking water is at the optimum levels, you can continue using this to reconstitute powdered or liquid concentrate infant formula. A 2010 study also examined the issue of fluorosis and infant formula which concluded that no general recommendations are warranted to avoid the use of fluoridated water in reconstituting infant formula.
However, if your community water system is highly fluoridated, consider alternatives such as ready-to-feed formula, or powdered or liquid concentrate formula reconstituted with fluoride-free or low-fluoride water. Always check the fluoride levels in your baby’s toothpaste and bottled drinking water.
Myth: The risk of autism is increased by fluoride use
Fact: There is no scientific research or study that provides proof that the risk of autism is elevated because of fluoride or fluoridated water.
Myth: High levels of fluoride reduces IQ.
Fact: The research review that claims that lower IQ scores in children were “caused” by fluoride. However, there are many reasons why the evidence does not support this claim. The article’s information on fluoride came from just one study that did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship between fluoride and the brain. It also does not provide evidence to suggest fluoride is a possible neurotoxin.
On the other hand, more than 3,000 studies and research papers show that water fluoridation is safe and effective as a public health practice. Community water fluoridation has been, and continues to be, thoroughly evaluated to ensure the health of those who benefit from it.
Myth: Drinking fluoridated water will cause cancer
Fact: Leading health and medical authorities endorse water fluoridation as safe and effective. There are numerous studies and research showing that the addition of fluoride does not increase the risk of cancer or any other serious health problems like heart disease, kidney problems, or diabetes.
Myth: Community water fluoridation is costly
Fact: Adding fluoride to the water is considered one of the less expensive ways of preventing tooth decay. A Canadian study found that for every dollar invested in water fluoridation, the city saves an estimated $38 in dental treatment costs. The CDC has also found that the costs of restorative care to prevent dental disease are greater than the cost of water fluoridation, regardless of town size.
Myth: Fluoridated water does not have an impact on tooth decay
Fact: Numerous studies have been conducted in the U.S and in Europe which shows that water fluoridation helps reduce tooth decay in all ages. An independent panel of 15 experts from the fields of science and public health have also reviewed numerous studies and concluded that fluoridation reduces tooth decay by 29%.
Myth: There are places with a high rate of water fluoridation that have higher decay rates than places where water fluoridation is less common
Fact: Community water fluoridation is proven to reduce decay, but it is not the only factor that affects the rate of tooth decay. Comparing different cities based solely on fluoridation rates ignores key income differences. Such information is misleading since it doesn’t consider other confounding factors.
A much more reliable approach is to compare residents of the same city who share similar traits, such as income levels. Low-income Canadians are almost twice as likely to suffer from poor oral health compared to high-income Canadians. Water fluoridation is a cost-effective measure to narrow the gap when it comes to oral health and tooth decay.
Myth: People don’t need fluoridated water because there is fluoride in toothpaste
Fact: Like many supplements you put in your skin, fluoride also has different benefits when used topically versus when it is ingested. Fluoride in water is systemic fluoride. Once ingested, it is in the bloodstream and saliva, serving to continually protect your teeth and even becoming incorporated into adult teeth as they form in children’s mouths.
Toothpaste with fluoride, in-office fluoride treatments, and mouth rinses promote the remineralization of enamel and fight against plaque. Fluoride on your teeth, whether it comes from your toothpaste or fluoridated water works better together to provide maximum protection for your teeth.
Myth: Fluoride actually damages teeth instead of protecting them
Fact: The tooth-strengthening benefits of fluoride outweigh the risk of “damages” like white stains from fluorosis. Dental fluorosis occurs when babies and young children are exposed to too much fluoride while their adult teeth are forming. This results in teeth with noticeable white spots. On the other hand, cavities that result in tooth decay are far more damaging to the teeth than dental fluorosis.
Do We Have Fluoridated Water in Brampton?
Community water fluoridation is the process of adjusting the amount of fluoride in drinking water to a level recommended for preventing tooth decay. Fluoride has been proven to help protect teeth against cavities and adding fluoride to community drinking water is the most efficient and cost-effective way to provide residents with the proven protection of fluoride against cavities.
The Region of Peel adopts a comprehensive approach to preventing oral disease. The level of naturally occurring fluoride in Peel’s lake-based municipal water supply is adjusted to an optimal concentration range to protect against tooth decay. Water fluoridation takes place at the Arthur P. Kennedy and Lorne Park Water Treatment Plants, which supply the Cities of Brampton, Mississauga, and southern parts of Caledon.
Fluoride is generally safe and effective and recommended for both children and adults. But it’s important to use it correctly, especially for babies and young children. Make sure to consult your dentist on how to best incorporate fluoride into your family’s basic oral hygiene.
If you live in Brampton, look no further than Springdale Dental Centre for your dental concerns. Call us at 905-458-1212, or email in**@sp**************.com to book an appointment today!
