Is Fluoride Really Good For Your Teeth?

I started taking my son to the dentist when he was three years old, and my daughter will have her first appointment next month. When my son was first getting teeth we only used non-fluoride toothpaste, because fluoride is not recommended for anyone under two years old. At his first dentist appointment I was informed that we should be using a fluoride-containing toothpaste, and I tried, but my son despised any toothpaste that contained fluoride. That should have been an indicator—the body does not crave what it does not need. If a fluoride toothpaste even touched my son’s tongue you would swear it was poison.

My son’s clear dislike of fluoride toothpaste got me thinking—we know why we’re told do use fluoride, but what are the reasons not to?  Most of what I uncovered was in regard to fluoridation—the practice of adding fluoride to a water supply. The first thing I found was a recent study out of Harvard suggesting that fluoride lowers IQ scores. Published in the July 20 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, a US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’ journal, the study reported that, “The children in high fluoride areas had significantly lower IQ than those who lived in low fluoride areas.”

It’s extremely important to find out if your community’s water is fluoridated. There are a couple of ways you can find this information. The first is simply to pick up the phone and call your water service provider and ask them. Alternately, you can visit the CDC website and look up your water provider and find out whether your supply is artificially fluoridated.

If you are the parent of a formula-fed infant, its especially important to be mindful of whether your water is fluoridated. If infant formula is mixed using fluoridated water, it can lead to a condition call fluorosis, which causes discoloration of tooth enamel, eventually leading to badly damaged teeth. In an interview with Dr. Paul Connett, a chemist specializing in environmental chemistry, on Dr. Mercola’s website, Connett stated, “The teeth are the window to the bones. If you’ve seen the damage to the teeth, what damage can you not see?” Good question!

Another thing I do not understand when it comes to fluoridation, is why it’s okay for us to swallow fluoride in our water. Every tube of fluoride toothpaste I’ve ever seen explicitly says that it should not be swallowed. So why is 50% of the US water supply fluoridated? Why is there no difference in the rate of tooth decay between states with fluoridated water versus non-fluoridated water? Isn’t it true that fluoride benefits are seen when applied topically, not systemically? Additionally, there are studies indicating that overuse of fluoride can lead to a number of health issues including: hyperactivity, lethargy, muscle disorders, brain damage, arthritis, dementia and increased infertility to name just a few.

In terms of our children, fluoride can have quite a negative effect on their developing bodies, and according to another article by Dr. Mercola, “has been linked to reduced IQ, impaired neurobehavioral development and brain damage.” The article goes on to state that there are upwards of 100 published studies demonstrating fluoride’s harm to the brain. Additionally, there are 25 (published) studies linking fluoride exposure to reduced IQ in children. So basically, swallowing fluoride will not help your child’s dental health, and it may adversely effect the rest of their body,

If you are concerned about tooth decay, then I recommend taking matters into your own hand. Seek out a natural toothpaste that does not contain fluoride and take your child for regular dental visits so you can take care of any decay issues before they become large. Keep in mind too, that there are many things that come into play when it comes to dental health. I’ve confirmed with both my own dentist and my children’s dentist that saliva actually plays a large role in the health of your teeth—more specifically genetics. People with certain chemical make-ups in their saliva will be less likely to have cavities. Others are predisposed to more cavities.

Don’t let fluoridation be forced upon your growing family. Let your local government know that fluoridation is something that is not acceptable. Because think about it, if it’s okay to put fluoride in our water because it’s supposedly good for us, then what will be next? Maybe they could add cholesterol medications to our water so we won’t have heart attacks… Seriously, though this forced “medication” needs to stop.