Fluoride, For The Health Of Our Kids

Parents will do anything to ensure the health and safety of their children. That’s why we do our best to make sure they’re staying healthy by eating a well-balanced diet and drinking water. But even after many years of pushing the 8 glasses a day routine, new research studies show that all tap water may not be as healthy of a choice as we had thought.

According to one online article, cavity-preventing and tooth-decay limiting fluoride may actually be having harmful effects on the teeth of our children when over the recommended limits, or even the limit set as “safe” by the government. The article states that too much fluoride in drinking water is actually causing spots on their teeth. The federal government, too, is aware of this discovery and has announced a reduction in the recommended levels found in water supplies. It is quoted that “about 2 out of 5 adolescents have tooth streaking or spottiness because of too much fluoride.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the spotty tooth condition, fluorosis, is actually quite common between the ages of 12 and 15 and has increased since the 1980s. Among the other government plans to prevent the condition is their other studies currently in progress which look at the ways Americans are exposed to fluoride and the other health effects it may have.

Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in the water and soil. According to this article, about 64% of Americans drink fluoridated water – either naturally occurring or from a municipally maintained system. And, for those who are not receiving fluoride in their water, doctors have been quick to prescribe fluoride supplements and schools have implemented swish-and-spit programs in the classrooms. In the past, water supplies were fluoridated because studies had shown that people who took in more fluoride had fewer cavities. But now this new research emerges and water supplies must go under new regulations yet again.

Oral health is important and while it may be a benefit of fluoride, knowing too much can harm our families is always a motivation to look into other options like water treatment systems for your residency. These may include water coolers, water filters, or reverse osmosis systems. All are eco-friendly and affordable solutions for eliminating unhealthy minerals or contaminants from the drinking water in your home. Clean and healthy water is not something we need to worry about – it will always keep our families healthy, we just need to make sure that it really is clean and healthy!