Re-Thinking Fluoride

By Delores Pittman, DDS

Pride Dental

. http://www.pridedentalofbowie.com

More Dental Health Articles

Re-Thinking Fluoride

The benefit of using fluoride has been consistently lauded by dental healthcare professionals, academia, and corporations. The compound, found naturally in the environment, has been added to the water supply since the 1940’s. It is the active ingredient in most toothpastes and mouth washes, but most don’t realize that it is consumed in everything that requires water. Fluoride is ingested in with every bowl of rice, glass of iced tea, cup of coffee, and bottle of formula. Very few have ever challenged the efficacy of its role in cavity prevention. How many fillings do you have? How many teeth lost? Have you not been consuming fluoridated water for most, if not all of your life?

Polio was eradicated because the vaccine was effective. Tooth decay, however, is alive and well. Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in children and adolescents aged 6-19. It is four times more common than asthma. The incidence of tooth decay has decreased since water fluoridation began, but the impact of other socio-economic factors cannot be ruled out.

Persons with a higher level of education or in a higher socio-economic class have access to regular and preventive dental care. They consume more fresh fruits and vegetables and are less inclined to eat processed foods with high sugar content than a person with a lower economic status. They are less likely to smoke and consume alcohol than a peer with less than a high school education. Those living in poverty find themselves in food deserts. The disparity is plain to see.

What can be done to reverse this trend? More fluoride is not the answer. Fluoride, in higher doses, has been used as an insecticide and in rat poison. The warning label on toothpaste tubes advises that if ingested, call poison control immediately. For a small child, even a pea-sized amount of toothpaste can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Further, excess consumption of fluoride can result in dental fluorosis, a condition in which the enamel becomes irreversibly damaged and the teeth become permanently discolored. Teeth with dental fluorosis have a white or brown discoloration, are pitted, brittle, and stain easily.

Other health concerns associated with excess fluoride exposure are: osteoarthritis, bone weakness, lower fertility rates, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive deficiencies. Improved diet and oral hygiene is key. The physical removal of the bacterial plaque from your teeth and the reduction of sugar consumption are the primary factors in cavity prevention, not fluoride. By making some practical changes to your oral hygiene regimen and daily choices, you can reduce your risk of tooth decay.

1. Brush your teeth well at least twice daily. This should take at least 2-3 minutes. Time yourself.

2. Floss your teeth at least once daily.

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables.

4. Decrease your consumption of sugary beverages.

5. Limit foods with low nutritional value like donuts, cookies, cake, and candy.

6. Stop smoking, for so many reasons.

7. Do not put a baby or toddler to bed with a bottle of formula or sweetened beverage.

If you do indulge in sweets, brush your teeth immediately afterward. Keep a toothbrush in the car or even at work. See a dentist regularly to detect tooth decay while the hole in your tooth is small and easily restored. Don’t wait until it hurts.