What is fluorine?
Fluorine, from which fluoride is derived, is the 13th most abundant element and is released into the environment naturally in both water and air.
What is water fluoridation?
Fluoride is naturally present in all water. Community water fluoridation is the addition of fluoride to adjust the natural fluoride concentration of a community's water supply to the level recommended for optimal dental health, approximately 1.0 ppm (parts per million). One ppm is the equivalent of 1 mg/L, or 1 inch in 16 miles.
Community water fluoridation is an effective, safe, and inexpensive way to prevent tooth decay. Fluoridation benefits Americans of all ages and socioeconomic status.
What is the history of water fluoridation?
Fluoride was first used purposefully to prevent tooth decay in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1945 by adjusting the level of fluoride in drinking water. Fluoridation of drinking water has been used successfully in the United States for more than 50 years.
Fluoridation of community water has been credited with reducing tooth decay by 50%-60% in the United States since World War II. More recent estimates of this effect show decay reduction at 18%-40%, which reflects that even in communities that are not optimally fluoridated, people are receiving some benefits from other sources (e.g., bottled beverages, toothpaste).
Of the 50 largest cities in the United States, 43 have community water fluoridation. Fluoridation reaches 62% of the population on public water supplies -- more than 144 million people. (These data are from 1992.)
Water fluoridation costs, on average, 72 cents per person per year in U.S. communities (1999 dollars).
How should you use fluoride?
Good scientific evidence supports the use of community water fluoridation and the use of fluoride dental products for preventing tooth decay for both children and adults.
Children and adults who are at low risk of dental decay can stay cavity-free through frequent exposure to small amounts of fluoride. This is best gained by drinking fluoridated water and using a fluoride toothpaste twice daily.
Children and adults at high risk of dental decay may benefit from using additional fluoride products, including dietary supplements (for children who do not have adequate levels of fluoride in their drinking water), mouthrinses, and professionally applied gels and varnishes.
How does fluoride work?
Fluoride's main effect occurs after the tooth has erupted above the gum. This topical effect happens when small amounts of fluoride are maintained in the mouth in saliva and dental plaque (the film that adheres to tooth enamel).
Fluoride works by stopping or even reversing the tooth decay process. It keeps the tooth enamel strong and solid by preventing the loss of (and enhancing the reattachment of) important minerals from the tooth enamel.
What is enamel fluorosis?
Children aged 6 years or less may develop enamel fluorosis if they ingest more fluoride than needed. Enamel fluorosis is a chalk-like discoloration (white spots) of tooth enamel. A common source of extra fluoride is unsupervised use of toothpaste in very young children.
Thanks to everyone who has submitted input. I'm sorry to say I'm not updating this Dental FAQ site anymore. --Webmaster
This Fluoride FAQ is edited from material published by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, last updated in September 2002.
