Fells Point Dental All About Fluoride

How does fluoride strengthen teeth?

Before teeth erupt into the mouth, the fluoride consumed in toothpastes, foods and water is built into the developing tooth structure, making it resistant to tooth decay for the entirety of one's life.

After teeth erupt, fluoride helps rebuild weakened tooth enamel, slows down active cavities and reverses early stages of tooth decay.

In addition, the fluoride you take in from foods and beverages continues to provide a topical benefit because it becomes part of your saliva, constantly bathing the teeth with tiny amounts of fluoride that help rebuild weakened tooth enamel.

A 2015 Cochrane Review showed that children receiving fluoridated water had 35% fewer decayed, missing, and pulled baby teeth, and 26% fewer decayed, missing, and pulled permanent teeth than children receiving unfluoridated water.

A Quick Discussion About Toxicity

For all things we consume, toxicity is determined by the amount we consume. While large doses of fluoride could be toxic, it is important to recognize the difference between the effect of a massive dose of an extremely high level of fluoride versus the fluoride level currently recommended for public consumption. Like many common substances essential to life and good health - salt, iron, vitamins A and D, chlorine, oxygen and even water itself can be toxic in massive quantities.

Fluoride at the recommended concentrations (0.7 mg/L) used in community water fluoridation is not harmful or toxic. The single dose (consumed at one time) of fluoride that could cause acute fluoride toxicity is 5 mg/kg of body weight. This dose is considered the probably toxic dose which "is defined as the minimum dose that could cause serious or life-threatening systemic signs and symptoms and that should trigger immediate therapeutic intervention and hospitalization." Acute fluoride toxicity occurring from the ingestion of optimally fluoridated water is impossible. With water fluoridated at 1 mg/L, an individual would need to drink five (5) liters of water for every 2 lbs of body weight. For example, a 150 lb adult would have to consume more than 350 liters (nearly 93 gallons) of water at one time to reach an acutely toxic fluoride dose.

Fluorosis is a common finding in the permanent teeth that is visualized as changes in the color, translucency and surface texture of the enamel. Development of the permanent tooth enamel happens between 11 months and 7 years of age. After 7 years old, almost all enamel is fully developed and therefore cannot be inhibited by excess fluoride in the diet.

In most cases, only mild white spots are noted on the front teeth. As body weight increases with age, small children are more likely to have a relative excess of fluoride in their diet and therefore have defects in the enamel that is developing at the stage of life.

Moderate and severe flourosis requires excessive fluoride intake for extended periods of time and is frequently linked to excessive naturally occuring fluoride. It was first noticed in children growing up on well water in Colorado Springs, CO. The correlation between a lower incidence of decay and these brown spots it what lead scientist to explore water fluoridation for public health purposes!

For a history of fluoride and it's discovery as a medication for cavity prevention, click below!

The Story of fluoridation, by the National Institute of Health