The Fluoride Effect

Hi, it’s me again. Yeah, I know it’s been a couple of weeks, and I feel terrible about that. But on the bright side, we are almost done with the mineral section! Which I think will be exciting for most of us. Then we will get into more of the applicable stuff.

But today we are going to talk about fluoride. When I think of fluoride, I think of that stuff dentists tell us to swish in our mouths every night before bed. And I always forget to do it even though the bottle is on my counter next to my toothbrush. And it always burns my mouth because the sensation of mint is so overwhelming. And tears come to my eyes as I spit it out in the sink. So yeah. Fluoride and I do not get along well.

Anyways, despite my rocky relationship with fluoride, it is extremely important to the health of our teeth. Fluoride forms this cool substance, called fluoroapatite, that hardens our tooth enamel and protects them from damage. Acidic substances eat away at our enamel and can cause cavities and other tooth problems—fluoride can prevent this from happening. Which means less dentist appointments. And less scary tools going into your mouth.

To help combat cavities (and to help those who have an aversion to swishing fluoride in their mouths, like me), many communities started fluoridating their water supply around 1945. Individuals who live in communities with fluoridated water have significantly lower rates of cavity formation. Currently, about 2/3 of Americans live in areas that fluoridate their water.

But fluoride can do so much more than help with our teeth!

Though our teeth are extremely important, I argue that our bones are also extremely important, and this is the other reason we need fluoride. In combination with calcium and Vitamin D, fluoride helps increase bone mineral density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. If you remember from my post on Vitamin D, osteoporosis turns your bones into swiss cheese, making them very hole-ridden, fragile, and brittle. Any substance that helps decrease the risk of that happening is an important one.

When it comes to our daily needs, men need 3.8 milligrams and women need 3.1 milligrams. On average, it takes about 15 cups of water to meet these requirements, but this obviously depends on the concentration of fluoride in the water system. But it’s important to keep in mind that fluoride is in any food or liquid that incorporates fluoridated water, so 15 cups isn’t as scary as it sounds. This includes foods or drinks such as: coffee, tea, soda, juices, and soups.

So…what is the most important principle that we learn here? As long as we stay hydrated, we don’t have to worry about our fluorine consumption. Just one of the many reasons that experts tell us to drink more water!