Fluoride in Your Water: The Good and Bad

The federal government has recommended lowering the level of fluoride in public drinking water for the first time in 50 years. In 1962, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recommended that public tap water contain between 0.7 and 1.2 milligrams of fluoride per liter. But this week, the department changed its recommendation is for the level to not exceed 0.7 milligrams per liter as many receive fluoride through toothpaste, mouthwash, and other products.

“While additional sources of fluoride are more widely used than they were in 1962, the need for community water fluoridation still continues,” said Deputy Surgeon General Rear Admiral Dr. Boris Lushniak. “Community water fluoridation continues to reduce tooth decay in children and adults beyond that provided by using only toothpaste and other fluoride-containing products.”

While the American Dentistry Association and public health researchers have praised the announcement, but others feel the recommendation does not go far enough.

Dr. Phillippe Grandjean, an environmental health researcher and physician at Harvard University. He advocates using fluoride topically, like brushing your teeth with toothpaste with fluoride, as opposed to swallowing it and subjecting all the body’s organs to the naturally-occurring mineral.  A study in 1999 found that fluoride primarily acts topically and does not need to be swallowed to be effective.

So which is it? Is fluoride in water good or bad? Check out the pros and cons below and make the decision for yourself:

Pros

• Endorsed by the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Dental Association (ADA), and the CDC as a safe and effective way to reduce cavities
• The CDC lists it as one of the top 10 more important public health measures of the 20^th Century
• Studies show that water fluoridation reduces tooth decay by about 25% over a person’s lifetime
• Is the least expensive way to deliver the benefits of fluoride to all residents of a community, no matter their age, income, education or socioeconomic status
• For every $1 invested in water fluoridation, approximately $38 is saved in dental treatment costs
• The greatest benefits is obtained by children who drink fluoridated water since birth as their teeth are made stronger during childhood making them permanently resistant to decay

Cons

• Is considered an unethical form of mass-medication as individuals do not give consent
• Dosage cannot be controlled – people who drink more water will ingest more fluoride
• Excess fluoride exposure can lead to white or brown stains, spots, or streaks on teeth, dental fluorosis, which can create pits in teeth or even break enamel
• Research has shown that fluoride works best when is it applied topically
• Studies have shown there is no significant link between fluoride exposure and tooth decay
• Japan and about 97% of Western Europe do not fluoridate their water

Whether you want to keep the fluoride in your office drinking water or have it filtered out is up to you. Quench’s 5-step carbon filtration system will not remove fluoride from the water, but our reverse osmosis filtration system will remove fluoride from your water. So the choice is yours!