Dentistry Health Care

Guest post written by Katrina Robinson

For years, fluoride has been a regular part of preventative dental care. Water fluoridation began in the late 1940s after preliminary studies showed that there was an “optimal” fluoride level that, when included in drinking water, led to decreased cavities in kids.

In 2002, the majority (almost 90%) of people in the United States go their water from public water systems. Of this group, about 67% received fluoridated water.

Recent studies and new-found information have shown that fluoride may not be quite as safe as we’ve all grown up believing.

Did you know that fluoride is one of the most toxic substances in the world? It’s more toxic than lead and only a little less toxic than arsenic. But it’s included in virtually every type of toothpaste, and other products such as bottled water and infant formulas now contain fluoride. But is fluoride really necessary for preventative dental health?

According to Fluoride, Journal of the International Society for Fluoride Research, “No statistically significant differences were found in the decay rates of permanent teeth or the percentages of decay-free children in the fluoridated, non-fluoridated, and partially fluoridated areas.”

Additionally, Poison Control centers across the nation receive thousands of calls each year from people who have consumed an excess amount of fluoride-containing products. Fluoride poisoning is very damaging to the body and can even lead to death. Potential results from consuming an excess of fluoride include:

* Birth defects
* Bone and uterine cancer
* Immune system suppression
* Osteoarthritis
* Skeletal fluorosis
* Gastrointestinal disorders

My advice is to stick with clean well water when you can; otherwise, invest in a water filtration system, and search out toothpastes that are fluoride-free.

Katrina Robinson is a guest writer who writes for Oxy-Powder.