Fluoride why

Cochrane has a fiercely guarded reputation for impartiality and thoroughness. Its verdicts have global impact. Which may be why the pushback on its fluoridation work was so strong.

To evaluate the studies, the team used two simple but strict criteria: They needed to have two large groups of subjects, one with fluoride the intervention group and one without the control group , and each group had to be examined at least two times. Moreover, the studies needed to be prospective meaning the scientists announced beforehand what they were looking for, then measured it as opposed to retrospective meaning the scientists sifted through historical data looking for patterns.

Scrutinizing medical databases, the Cochrane team found 4, fluoridation studies. All but of them—20 that focused on tooth decay, and that focused on dental fluorosis—failed to meet the two criteria. The Grand Rapids study is an example of these problems. Not only was it cut short when the control city, Muskegon, started fluoridating its water, but the experimenters had not established whether the two populations had similar incomes or ethnic backgrounds. The Grand Rapids researchers cannot be much faulted for these lapses, according to the Cochrane spokesperson Anne-Marie Glenny, a researcher at the University of Manchester School of Dentistry.

Few scientists understood how small imbalances between the intervention and control groups could compromise an entire trial. And the researchers definitely cannot be blamed for the unhappy fact that their experiment—indeed, all of the original fluoride research—occurred before the introduction of Crest, the first fluoride toothpaste, in Today, given that almost all toothpaste contains fluoride, and that most people brush their teeth, assessing the impact of fluoridated water remains highly problematic.

How much was due to the soaring popularity of fluoride toothpaste and mouthwash? And how much was due to rising affluence, which generally translates into more visits to the dentist? The Cochrane group reported its work carefully. The report did not support or attack fluoridation; it only asked for more research.

Nonetheless, it set off an uproar. A blog post on the Cochrane website attracted so many vitriolic comments from anti-fluoridation zealots that the organization eventually removed it.

The story included earlier versions of the two charts in this article. Last year, JAMA Pediatrics published a large, careful study that suggested fluoridation gave extra benefit to poor children and adolescents, but it, too, had limitations—the authors could not establish whether the different families in the study ate similar amounts of sugar, for instance. Still, the argument runs, it is ethically acceptable to force a majority to do something potentially useless if it might benefit a minority.

Unless, of course, fluoridation at current levels is unsafe in some way, and the many are harmed in pursuit of a potential benefit for the few. Is it safe? Some fluoride perils are well documented. Over the long run, the body incorporates fluoride into bone, making it more prone to fracture, and into ligaments and joints, making them less flexible and sometimes making movement very painful.

Severe cases of fluorosis are crippling; most victims are elderly. As a result, fluoridation advocates and people in government must thread a needle: enough fluoride to protect against tooth decay in children, but not enough to cause problems in the long term. Alas, epidemiologists have been complaining about the safety studies for decades, according to Sander Greenland , an emeritus professor of epidemiology and statistics at UCLA.

With the new equipment, they can control the fluoride level within a very narrow range. Public Health Service that looked at this. Matters get more complex for less well-documented risks. In October, a research team published the results of a long-term study in Canada that correlated concentrations of fluoride in the urine of pregnant women with the IQ scores, three to four years later, of their children.

The IQs of the boys but not the girls in fluoridated communities were, roughly speaking, one to three points lower than those of boys in nonfluoridated communities. Your spit, or saliva, is also loaded with calcium and phosphate and bathes the teeth to keep them strong.

When you eat things like candy, crackers or noodles, cavity-causing bacteria starts feasting on the carbohydrates in these foods. This produces acids that attack your enamel. It causes calcium and phosphate to be stripped from the tooth enamel, leaving you more vulnerable to decay and cavities. However, saliva disrupts the attack as it coats your teeth and adds back calcium and phosphate to replace what had been stripped away. When your saliva has fluoride in it from sources like toothpaste or water, your teeth are able to take it in.

Fluoride is also found in toothpaste, some dietary…. There are many reasons why white spots may develop on your teeth. Learn about the most common causes. Baby teeth are temporary but important. Most cavities take several months or years to form. However, multiple factors can influence how quickly tooth decay progresses, including oral hygiene,. The idea of tooth worms is an ancient myth.

Here's why so many different ancient people believed they existed and how they treated cavities. Cavity symptoms or signs of tooth decay can include sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweet foods. You may also have tooth pain or notice discoloration…. Recent research finds that prenatal exposure to "optimal" levels of fluoride in drinking water is strongly associated with reduced IQ when those…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.

Uses Benefits Side effects Controversy Check your water Takeaway We include products we think are useful for our readers. What is fluoride? Fluoride is a mineral in your bones and teeth. Read on to learn more about the use of fluoride and the controversy surrounding its safety. What is fluoride used for? In weighing the pros and cons of fluoride for teeth, researchers and dentists have found fluoride provides positive effects on dental health because it makes teeth more resistant to decay.

It also can prevent tooth decay or even reverse it. The Canadian Dental Association CDA supports using fluoride in dentistry appropriately as one highly successful preventative health measure in the health care history. More than 50 years of extensive research worldwide has consistently shown the effectiveness and safety of fluoride in preventing tooth decay. When you ingest it, fluoride becomes part of your tooth structures during the formation of your teeth. It also offers topical protection.

Fluoride, when ingested, is retained in your saliva, surrounding your teeth continually. This preventative measure is particularly essential for the aging baby-boomer population which is susceptible to aging-related dental diseases like root decay.

Fluoride is found in most toothpaste already. Fluoride not only protects your teeth from decay, but it also helps to reduce acid-related enamel wear. Certain acidic foods, such as salad dressings, fruit juices and tomatoes, can dissolve the enamel of your teeth daily. Children and adults should brush their teeth twice a day for two minutes each session to help with acid erosion prevention.

You can counteract acid attacks to your teeth by using fluoride products in your everyday oral hygiene routine. While fluoride is important for your teeth, too much is not good. You can call your local health unit or local water company to find out how much fluoride is in the water you drink. The recommended fluoride amount in Canada for drinking water is 0. Careful monitoring and reliable equipment help maintain these levels of fluoride. Before individual patients or populations embark on a certain fluoride delivery method, the availability of fluoride from some sources needs to be taken into account.

This is especially important for children under six years old where exposure to more fluoride than recommended for preventing dental decay may cause dental fluorosis. Fluoride is an essential health measure in maintaining oral health, provided people monitor their total daily fluoride intake carefully.

Extensive research over the decades shows water fluoridation is effective, safe and a low-cost way of improving oral health in all individuals of all ages. Research shows children who drink fluoridated water should have up to 35 percent less decay than children who drink water without fluoride.

Kids who drink fluoridated water develop strong teeth. Adults can expect less tooth decay when they drink fluoridated water. Fluoride, as a public health measure, has been thoroughly studied and deemed safe in low doses. Scientific studies since the s have found fluoride use for oral health to have no harmful effects. Many organizations endorse water fluoridation as a beneficial and valuable public health measure.