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Facts about Fluoride
Over the past few decades, cavities, which
once were a fact of life, have been drastically reduced
through the use of fluoride. Studies conducted over the
years have shown that fluoridation can prevent 15-40% of
decay, in fact. Fluoride is a naturally occurring
mineral found in all water sources, even the ocean.
Fluoride is made up from the element fluorine; which is
found the earth’s crust. Fluorine is never found in its
free state in nature, but always bound up with other
compounds to form fluoride.
Researchers have found that fluoride makes tooth
structure stronger, which helps prevent tooth decay.
Fluoride also helps repair or re-mineralize areas in the
mouth where very early decay has set in. Fluoride in
this respect reverses early
decay as well as makes teeth more resistant to decay.
There are two ways you can be exposed to fluoride:
topical and systemic. Topical fluorides strengthen your
existing teeth. Examples of topical fluoride include
toothpaste, mouth rinses and fluoride varnishes applied
by dentists. Systemic means that the fluoride is
ingested into the body and absorbed into forming tooth
structures. Systemic fluorides include fluoridated water
or dietary supplements that include fluoride. To prevent
tooth decay you need exposure to both types of fluoride.
Recently there’s been controversy in the media about
fluoride. You may have read about research conducted by
a Harvard student, whose work supposedly suggests a link
between fluoride and a rare type of bone cancer among
adolescent males. The study, conducted by a doctoral
student at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, has
not been published in any scientific journal, nor
undergone the rigors of peer review. Peer review is the
gold standard in the scientific and medical community,
as it ensures that any study published has been
thoroughly evaluated and that the research supports the
findings of the study. The American Dental Association
cautions the dental profession, public health officials
and the public against drawing conclusions based on one
researcher’s unpublished study. Indeed, the student
notes in her thesis that there are several limitations
to her study and recommends that the findings be
confirmed using data from other studies. Water
fluoridation has been hailed as one of the 10 most
important public health achievements of the 20th century
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Groups like the World Health Organization, American
Cancer Society, Institute of Medicine and National
Academy of Sciences have endorsed it as safe and
effective for preventing cavities. If you have questions
about fluoride, speak with your dentist. Additional
information can be found at the ADA’s web site,
www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/index.asp.
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