Is fluoride bad for you?

Is fluoride bad for you? I wanted to explore this more.

I have noticed lately that fluoride seems to be popping up everywhere. In our house, we brush our teeth twice a day and have been using toothpaste with fluoride in it, even my children have. We’ve recently heard that fluoride is in the drinking water too and when we visit the dentist, they too are applying fluoride to our teeth. And, when I’ve delved a little deeper it seems even some of our foods such as tea, sodas, ice pops and more even have fluoride in them.

Are we in fluoride over-kill here? And if so, what is fluoride actually doing to our bodies?

Let’s take a closer look at what fluoride is and how it has become so widely used.

What is fluoride?

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in your teeth and bones. Fluoride can also be found in soil, water, plants, rocks and air. [1]

Fluoride is commonly used by the dentists to apply to teeth to strengthen enamel and reduce the risk of tooth decay. Fluoride is also added to toothpaste, mouthwash, some supplements. Around the world, water companies are adding fluoride to the water at the recommended amount of 1mg/L. However, if you are living in the UK, then not all counties add fluoride, here is a website where you can find out if your local water board adds fluoride to your water.  https://www.uk-water-filters.co.uk/fluoride_areas_uk.html

I find it somewhat concerning that the people in fluoridated areas don’t have a choice whether they want their drinking water tampered with.

Why put fluoride in water?

Back in the 1990’s, Tony Blair decided that fluoride should be added to water to prevent the children’s teeth from decaying. But, there was little knowledge about fluoride back then, and because American was doing the same, it seemed the UK just simply followed suit. However, there have never been any proven studies that adding fluoride to the water has helped prevent the decay of children’s teeth. A study was carried out in America to confirm there had been a reduction of tooth decay, but no study has ever been carried out in the UK.

Benefits of Fluoride

According to the Healthline, fluoride is beneficial to teeth because it remineralises weak teeth enamel, slows down the loss of minerals, reverses the signs of tooth decay, and prevents the growth of oral bacteria. [2]

Is fluoride harmful?

There are more studies that are now exploring the disadvantages of having too much fluoride. Recently, a study has linked too much fluoride to thyroid problems such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, and there are recommendations to reduce or remove fluoride added to water. [3]

Another interesting study has explored how too much fluoride can build up in the pineal gland. The pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is an important hormone for regulating our sleep-cycle, regulates the onset of puberty in females, and helps protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals. [4]

Other studies have linked too much fluoride to onset of ADHD [5] 

Concluding

As with everything, I believe in choice. I believe that therefore people should choose to have added fluoride and the water companies should not be allowed to tamper with people’s water supply that they are paying for unless that person agrees.

If you are wanting to reduce your fluoride amounts, then you could stop using fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash. We now buy ours on Amazon.

Check out this blog post to learn more about the foods that have added fluoride.