Do we need fluoride in our water?

The history of fluoridated water

In the 1930s-1940s, scientists in America discovered a statistical link between a stained tooth condition called “Colorado Brown Stain” and an unusually low number of dental cavities in people with the condition. Water analysed from areas where the condition was prevalent found that naturally occurring fluoride, in some cases as high as 8 mg/L, was the common factor. The staining was found to be a condition called fluorosis, caused by an over-exposure to fluoride. At its lowest level, fluorosis is only visible to a dentist under the right lighting and appears as feint white lines or spots on the surface of a tooth. At extreme levels it is highly visible as brown stained and pitted teeth.

Mild fluorosis: in its usual mildest form, fluorosis appears as opaque white patches on the enamel. [Wikipedia]

Further analysis found that a fluoride concentration of about 1 mg/L in water would provide the benefits of fluoride with negligible levels of fluorosis. The first public fluoridisation of water occurred on January 25^th 1945 in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a controlled experiment. The results of the experiment were published in 1950 and showed significant reductions in tooth decay. Following the success of the experiment, the practice of adding fluoride to public water supplies quickly spread across the USA and to other countries, where similar drops in dental cavities in the population were also observed. ^[1]

Recent controversy

However, adding fluoride to a public water supply is regarded by many now as an extremely crude fluoride delivery system, and may have become completely unnecessary and even overkill in developed countries with ready access to modern dental care practises and fluoridated toothpaste.

The effect of fluoride on tooth enamel to prevent cavities is well known. However, the effect is a topical one. That is, the fluoride needs to be applied to the surface of the tooth for it to do any good. Drinking fluoridated water works because the water has to enter the body via the mouth, and while there is some minor benefit in having trace amounts of fluoride in saliva, once it’s in our stomachs it’s no longer doing anything for our teeth. Drinking water with fluoride for our teeth has been likened to drinking sun screen to protect skin from sun damage. ^[2]

There’s also a question of somewhat unregulated dosage. Not only will dosage vary depending on the amount of water consumed per individual, we also take in varying additional quantities of fluoride from other sources such as our toothpaste, pharmaceuticals, and food and drinks produced with fluoridated water. Recommended daily fluoride dosage is 4mg for men and 3mg for women. At the recommended 8 glasses of water per day with an average 1mg/l in fluoridated town water, we’re already at 2mg, and that’s before we’ve even brushed our teeth which can potentially add up to 2.25mg each time. ^[3][4][5]

More recent studies published by the World Health Organisation have shown similar levels of tooth decay and similar levels of declining tooth decay since the 1970s in countries both with and without fluoridated public water supplies. ^[2]A Cochrane review of existing studies found no benefits of fluoridated water in adults. ^[6]This suggests that these days we are getting adequate levels of fluoride from our toothpaste, mouthwashes and other sources without having to add it to our drinking water.

Fluoride Overdose?

So what happens if we take in too much fluoride? Aside from the possibility of visible fluorosis which mostly affects children with developing teeth, fluoride has been linked with IQ deficits in children, brain defects in developing foetuses, and can aggravate the effects of iodine deficiency which is essential for thyroid function. High levels of exposure to fluoride can also combine with hydrogen in the gut to form hydrogen fluoride, which can lead to gastrointestinal problems including erosion of the stomach lining, ulcers and in extreme cases a painful condition called skeletal fluorosis.^[7]

Text below is extracted from Wikipedia ^[8] :

Out of a population of about three-quarters of a billion, under 14 million people (approximately 2%) in Europe receive artificially-fluoridated water. Those people are in the UK (5,797,000), Republic of Ireland (3,250,000), Spain (4,250,000), and Serbia (300,000) … Many European countries have rejected water fluoridation, including: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Scotland, Iceland, and Italy. A 2003 survey of over 500 Europeans from 16 countries concluded that “the vast majority of people opposed water fluoridation”.

In Australia, water fluoridation is still in practice for from 70% to 100% of the population, depend on the states, as shown in the diagram below: ^[8]

While the dangers of fluoride may be regarded as alarmist by many, others choose to reduce their exposure and get the benefits without the potential risk of overdose by only applying fluoride topically to teeth and controlling doses from other sources as much as possible.

EZEK EZ-AQUA 250B Benchtop Water Purifier

While a GAC filter has been shown to remove some fluoride, water filter systems like the EZ-AQUA 250B or 250BU are best for people who prefer to retain it, along with other healthy minerals, while removing other contaminants. For people who prefer to remove fluoride we recommend a reverse osmosis filter system.

Call us today on (02) 8840 5177, or email us at sales@ilanwater.com.au, to discuss our range of water filtration systems to provide clean and great tasting drinking water at your home or office.
Australia-wide delivery available!

Do we need fluoride in our water?