Fluoride in Public Water

The addition of fluoride to our public water supply is a very controversial subject in today’s world.  It was observed that people who drank water containing a low concentration of fluoride had a lower rate of tooth decay.  And this is true; fluoride helps prevent bacteria from producing acids that decay tooth enamel.  But two much fluoride can also cause the pitting of teeth and other health problems.  In fact as low as 1.5ppm in water can cause tooth decay, and as low as 3-6ppm in water can cause skeletal decay and/or abnormalities.  And even in low concentrations, fluoride can build up in our bodies over time.  It is very quick to absorb into the body and enter the blood stream, than making its way through the rest of the body.  Some say it even can effect our pineal gland, and than brain function. 

However that is not necessarily a scientific fact.  It has also been claimed that the science from which our acceptable fluoride levels have been based off of, may be drawn from fraudulent or inaccurate studies.  It is difficult to separate proven facts from controversy in the topic of fluoride and its potential health effects.  You have a large number of people claiming side effects from fluoride that simply are not proven to be true.  On the flip side however, there are a lot of scary proven facts about fluoride exposure.   Today, around two-thirds of Americans have fluorinated water. In the 1940’s water treatment facilities’ started to add fluoride to the public water supply for dental health reasons as previously stated.  The fluoride that is being added to our water now is sodium fluoride, and it is actually a waste product of aluminum manufacturing.  This particular compound is more likely to cause fluorosis, which is the staining of the teeth with an opaque hue.  There is a lot of speculation as to using this compound, which is a waste product of manufacturing, and putting it into our bodies.  But it is in such low concentration; some say it is not an issue.  That being said, 97% of Western Europe still does not have fluoride in their water.  Many countries did have fluoride added initially but took it out.  Here is the surprising thing; the World Health Organization claims no significant difference in tooth decay between countries with, and without fluoride.   That makes us ask ourselves, is the benefit really worth the risk?  Alarmingly, 40% of American teenagers show some negative signs of fluorination.  It is usually in the form of plaque like stains.  For infants and young children, fluoride provides only risks.  This is considering they are not going to have the teeth they have now later in life.  Another fact I found particularly shocking, fluoride supplements have never actually been approved by the FDA in the United States.  Negative symptoms of fluoride are particularly evident in low income areas.  This is thought to be due to lower nutrition levels on average, and on average, low income adults are less healthy than there peers.  This inhibits the body’s ability to combat side effects from fluorine.