Water’s role in human survival is non-negotiable. It is impossible to stay healthy without clean and healthy water. But the water we drink and use in recent times is packed with tons of harmful chemicals. Fluoride is one of them, and it is found in municipal tap water, where it is present in considerable amounts. So if you think the tap water that enters your home is 100% clean, you might want to have a rethink. Fluoride is one of the major purifiers used because of its supposed capabilities to improve dental health. However, these claims by the government have been repeatedly rebuffed.
How does fluoride enter your water?
Scientists in the early 19th century explored a possible connection between naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water and tooth decay in children. As a result, they discovered fewer cases of tooth decay in children drinking water with naturally high fluoride levels. That vital discovery helped resolve the budding tooth decay problem among American adults and children then. The toothaches and the painful extractions that come with them forced several Americans to lose their permanent teeth, even as early as their teenage years.
More research followed, and in 1945, Michigan added fluoride to its city water system, making it the first-ever to do so. The intention was to ensure the public could access the health benefits of fluoride. The water supply is tested for fluoride, and adjustments are made until the correct amount is present. This process is called community water fluoridation, and it helps prevent cavities.
Several cities followed suit after Michigan’s bold move. As of 2016, about 73% of the American population enjoys fluorinated water through their community water systems. Considering fluorinated water has improved tooth decay over the last 75 years, the CDC named community water fluoridation one of the ten best public health achievements of the century.
What is Community Water Fluoridation?
In community water fluoridation, the adjustment of the existing naturally occurring fluoride present in drinking water to an optimal level ensures the teeth are prevented from tooth decay. This is similar to how we fortify cereals and bread with folic acid and table salt with iodine.
More communities are joining the movement, ensuring their public water becomes fluoridated. As of 2014, over 211 million people, representing 74.4% of the American people, get optimally fluoridated water in their homes.
Is fluoride healthy for consumption?
Yes, it is. Fluoride is great for your brain, teeth, and overall health. Fluoride is present in nature as a major component of our teeth and bones. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shown fluoride to effectively prevent tooth decay without having any adverse effects on the adults and children consuming it. Its effectiveness is further confirmed by including the Community Water Fluoridation initiative as one of the ten most outstanding public health achievements in the 20th century.
Science has yet to link fluoride with any health issues convincingly, and its safety has been proven for plants, fishes, and other organisms.
Is fluoride cancerous?
There are several questions about how safe water fluoridation is, especially regarding its link to cancer. In the same vein, scientists have looked into the possible connection between fluoride and cancer-related health conditions.
The U.S. National Toxicology Program (NTP) in 1990 studied lab animals, and the researchers found uncertain evidence of cancer-causing potentials of fluoridated drinking water. The subjects were male rats, and the discovery was premised on the fact that the number of osteosarcoma (a form of bone cancer) recorded was higher than expected. However, such potentials are completely absent in female mice and female rats.
Most cancer-related controversies are closely linked to osteosarcoma. There is a theory on the possible influence of fluoridation on the risk of osteosarcoma, which is based on the ability of fluoride to accumulate in parts of bones where they grow. These areas are the growth plates and represent the site of development of osteosarcomas. In essence, fluoride is believed to facilitate the growth of the growth plate, making them more predisposed to being cancerous.
Check to learn how to remove fluoride from water.
