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Medical freedom vs. public health: Should fluoride be in our drinking water? (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 6 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

328 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Misinformation campaigns increasingly target the cavity-fighting mineral, prompting communities to reverse mandates. Dentists are enraged. Parents are caught in the middle.

The culture wars have a new target: your teeth.

Communities across the U.S. are ending public water fluoridation programs, often spurred by groups that insist that people should decide whether they want the mineral — long proven to fight cavities — added to their water supplies.

The push to flush it from water systems seems to be increasingly fueled by pandemic-related mistrust of government oversteps and misleading claims, experts say, that fluoride is harmful.

“The anti-fluoridation movement gained steam with Covid,” said Dr. Meg Lochary, a pediatric dentist in Union County, North Carolina. “We’ve seen an increase of people who either don’t want fluoride or are skeptical about it.”

There should be no question about the dental benefits of fluoride, Lochary and other experts say. Major public health groups, including the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, support the use of fluoridated water. All cite studies that show it reduces tooth decay by 25%.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Ok so seems clear to me there's no real harm, but is there alleged benefit for adults? I've never had to rely on a municipal well so as a kid I had fluoride treatments and used fluoridated paste, but always thought it was just for kids. Is there benefit for me as a 40yo (with no cavities if it matters)?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

Fluoride in water is the reason you have no cavities and will continue to have few to no cavities. Centuries ago you'd be lucky to have your teeth, the toothpaste definitely helps but the fluoride in water probably has a bigger impact on society overall

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Sorry, you misunderstand. I don't rely on a municipal well, and adding fluoride to private wells isn't a thing AFAIK.

That's why as a child I had fluoride treatments. It would have been easier to just get it in the water, but tradeoffs. My kids get them too.

I was wondering about the fluoride treatments being child only or whether there were adult benefits.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

There are adult benefits, yes. Fluoride re-mineralises teeth (in contrast to cavities) to a super-physiological state. Meaning: If tooth enamel is in the beginnings of a cavity state fluoride will fight that process and possibly repair the enamel to a state stronger than before.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago

Thanks! I'll talk to my dentist about it at my next appointment.