When it comes to Fluoride, it is time to remove the fiction from the table and let’s start right away with the assumption that Fluoride is bad for you. In reality, Fluoride is essential for your body as it helps to prevent tooth decay and in the process of mineralization and demineralization of your teeth. This is why most of the toothpaste companies include Fluoride when developing their branded toothpaste for commercial use. But as to the question of negative effects – well, we just have to take a closer look at some of the rumors doing the rounds.
Fluoride is a natural element that is available in large quantities and can be sourced naturally. It is often added to the drinking water supplied to your homes to help offset your chances of developing tooth decay as it is alleged to help prevent the same. The truth is that a daily diet of fluoride-laden water can indeed help prevent tooth decay to an extent. But at the same time, an excess of fluoride use in small children can lead to the small child developing dental fluorosis. This condition which is often noticeable by white specks in the enamel of the child’s teeth can eventually lead to skeletal fluorosis which can cause you to suffer from weakened bone structure along with debilitating pain, as a result of the same. This is why it is important that you take effective measures to ensure that your child drinks only fluoride free water. It is equally important to check when your child brushes his teeth and make sure that they does not swallow the toothpaste as it contains fluoride.
Excessive fluoride can also cause you to experience thyroid issues which can lead to you to experience depleted calcium in your bones, which in turn will be more susceptible to fracture and severe sprains than before. At the same time, it can also lead to excessive calcium build up which in turn can impact the functioning of other body organs. It was also determined that Fluoride is detrimental to the health of a fetus as excessive exposure to fluoride by the mother has resulted in poor cognitive development in her baby. Further studies are being conducted to understand the linkages but empirical studies so far have indicated this to be the case. It has also been documented as a neurotoxin and one that can impair cognitive reasoning and development in both young children and adults alike, in case of excess exposure to the element in question.
These are some of the negative aspects of Fluoride which is why it is important to review all the facts and understand the same, before banning all fluoride usage completely. Is it true that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay? The answer is ‘yes’, which is why you need to monitor its usage, study the element further so that consumers can use the same safely. At the moment, parents should take effective measures to protect the health of their children and help prevent excessive exposure to Fluoride.