It is well known that American water supplies have been treated with fluoride, but what is less clear are the long-term effects of fluoridation. Supporters of fluoridation say that the chemical helps strengthen teeth, while detractors worry about potentially dangerous side effects. The issue is still hotly debated with vocal advocates on both sides, and a wide variety of opinions exist on the practice.
We’ve all heard of fluoride, but just how often do we come into contact with it? Bottled water and many other beverages are treated with fluoride, often with no indication to consumers. Is fluoride a helpful tool for dental health, or an unnecessary chemical? Should bottled water companies be required to communicate the fluoridation of water on their product’s label?
What Is Fluoride?
Most of us have had fluoride applied by a dentist after a tooth cleaning, but you come into contact with fluoride more often than you think. Fluorides are chemicals used in the production of a number of products such as:
- Pesticides
- Insulation
- Nuclear fuel
- Teflon
- Bio-medical supplies
The fluoride used in water treatment is hexafluorosilic acid, known to prevent tooth decay in acceptable doses. However, the rise of fluoride toothpaste has led many experts to argue that adding it to public water has become unnecessary. In addition, elevated fluoride levels are known to cause health problems, a potentially unwanted consequence of water fluoridation.
Supporters of water fluoridation say that the process leads to better dental health for a population, and many supporters consider the process extremely beneficial for impoverished populations. Opponents of water fluoridation argue that the process is too expensive to justify and potentially harmful to human health. Both sides of the debate continue to gain steam as water fluoridation remains a controversial topic even in the 21st century.
You can check which locations in Massachusetts fluoridate their water here.
The Positives
Fluoride is proven to prevent tooth decay, and water fluoridation is an easy way to deliver this benefit to the public. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention listed water fluoridation as one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. We spoke to dentist Shivani Pareek of North End Dental Associates, who told us “Fluoridation at the appropriate level is the smart way to treat water”. Fluoride is a proven tool to fight tooth decay, which particularly affects young and impoverished populations.
Fluoride Flaws
Many people see water fluoridation as a challenge to individual rights. The practice was useful in the 20th century, but many experts feel the rise of fluoride toothpaste has made fluoridation unnecessary. Dr. Myron Wentz, an internationally recognized microbiologist and founder of USANA Health Sciences Inc., is a fluoride expert and points out that most American fluoride is purchased as an industrial waste product from China. Chinese suppliers actually list fluoride as an insecticide, raising more concerns about the business ethics of Chinese industrial suppliers and the safety of the chemical. What’s more, many European countries have seen a dramatic decline in tooth decay with no water fluoridation simply because of the rise of fluoride toothpaste.
Ever since its implementation in 1945, water fluoridation has had strong vocal opinions on both sides of the argument. Whether you support fluoridation or avoid it at all costs, the debate looks like it won’t be going away anytime soon. If you want to completely avoid fluoridated water, this website explains what filters are capable of removing fluoride from water and which filters cannot.
