I recently switched my toothpaste to fluoride free and a friend of mine asked if we needed fluoride to protect our teeth from decay. For once I didn't have much to say. I didn't do much research before hand but had just briefly read up on fluoride poisoning. So being me I had to look more into it and I'm worried now that I did. Not for my toothpaste but for our water! Fluoride is being added into our water and even Nursery water for babies! Too much fluoride can be harmful!
There is a pro to fluoride, but just one that I can find, which is that it helps protect the enamel on our teeth making cavities less common. However, if your an adult this doesn't really help as much as it does in children who still have growing bones. You really need to watch how much fluoride they are consuming though. You should only use a pea sized portion of toothpaste with fluoride for children to brush their teeth since they naturally swallow pretty much anything you put in their mouth.
Now lets go into the cons! Fluoride has been linked to certain cancers and Downs syndrome. It also has been linked to thyroid problems and too much fluoride can actually damage your teeth not help!
60% of Americans drinking water has fluoride in it already. Some fluoride is naturally in the water but shouldn't have more added like many places have been doing for years! Call your local water department to find out if you have fluoride added in your tap water. Fluoride can also enter through your skin while bathing. You might think that since you buy bottled water your safe from fluoride but it is also added in this water as well. Last night I was just thinking why is cancer more common? Could this be one of the reasons?
No comments:
Post a Comment