In the News: ADA Issues New Caution on Fluoride

Ever stop to wonder what exactly is coming out of your kitchen tap? Ever think about what is in that water you bathe in every day? Most communities across North American either have naturally occurring fluoride or add fluoride to their water supply in the name of good dental health. But the back of my tube of toothpaste says to call poison control if ever swallowed – isn’t fluoride dangerous?

The Truth About Fluoride

Truth be told, no level of any chemical is “safe” for us, though there has been little evidence that shows that the fluoride added to our water supply is detrimental to our own health. In fact, since water fluoridation has been implemented across North American, there has been as much of a 40% reduction of tooth decay on this continent (though that may also be due to improved dental care and better toothpastes).

One issue that has arisen from the adding of fluoride to our water supplies is something called “dental enamel flurosis”. Enamel flurosis causes our teeth to look “streaky”, with white lines or streaks running across the enamel of our teeth. Though it does not actually harm the health of the tooth, if severe it can be rather unappealing in appearance. Studies have recently indicated that, babies who are fed formula that is mixed with fluoridated tap water may stand at a greater risk of dental enamel flurosis later in life than babies who are either breastfed or who have had their formula mixed with filtered water (ADA.org).

Check Your Water

To check how much fluoride is in your tap water, visit your local municipality water station and ask them what amount of fluoride is contained in the water. If it is 0.7 mg/L or higher, then I strongly suggest you use purified, demineralized, deionized, distilled or reverse osmosis water (you can buy this type of water for little money at your grocery store) (BabyCenter.com). It is particularly important for you to check these details out and to use a substitute water source if your baby is under 1 year of age.

If you absolutely need to use tap water with a child who is under 1 years old, turn your tap on “cold” and let the water run for a few minutes to allow for any other impurities to clear out before potentially adding them to your child’s infant formula.

photo by Martin Walls