Is Fluoride Bad for You?

Fluoride was introduced to the public in the second half of the 20th century. Ever since then, it has significantly helped reduce tooth decay in people. Some people also believe that fluoride should be added to drinking water, but that is still a debatable idea. It was even debated heavily in the recent U.S. election .

Supporters of fluoride see it as important for public health. However, critics like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. question its safety and need. They worry about possible toxicity and risks to vulnerable groups.

This article will explore what fluoride is, why removing it from drinking water is controversial, its effects on human health, and methods for its removal.

Fluoride is a natural mineral found in rocks, which release fluoride in water and soil. That is why nearly all water and soil contain at least some amount of fluoride in them. For people, fluoride is a critical element for preserving and protecting their dental health.

In 1945, Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city to adjust fluoride levels in its public water supply to 1.0 ppm. Subsequent studies reported a dramatic decrease in cavity rates among children, validating the effectiveness of water fluoridation.

In the 1950s and 1960s, public water fluoridation spread from Grand Rapids to many other U.S. cities. These cities adopted fluoridation to improve the oral health of their communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2022, around 72.3% of people in the U.S. had fluoridated water. This means over 209 million people used community water systems with fluoride.

Fluoride is a natural cavity stopper with the following benefits for your dental health.

Consuming fluoride makes it easier for teeth to repair themselves. It strengthens tooth enamel. This helps it resist acidic erosion from sugar and bacteria. As a result, fluoride helps prevent or at least slow down tooth decay as we get older and our gums start to recede.

Fluoride helps replenish and restore the minerals that acids dissolve in your tooth enamel. If you regularly consume fluoride, the cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth won’t produce as much acidic content. That means it will be more difficult for it to dissolve your tooth enamel, which lowers the risk of developing tooth decay.

Most mouthwash and toothpaste products have fluoride in them. When public water utility companies add fluoride to the community’s drinking water, it is called water fluoridation. They do this to let residents have access to the best dental health benefits possible by drinking water from the community water system.

Fluoride is known to help with dental health. It prevents tooth decay and cavities. However, some research studies suggest that fluoride might cause long-term health issues.

Fluoride is added to water to help prevent tooth decay. However, some side effects of fluoride in water have been associated with adding fluoride to water, including,

Fluoride can build up in developing teeth, causing permanent staining or pitting. It is most commonly seen in children who drink fluoridated water.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a water standard for the maximum amount of fluoride allowed to be added to people’s public drinking water. This EPA standard is 4.0mg/L, which is 4 milligrams for every liter of water. Any more fluoride than that could potentially cause people to develop a serious bone disease called skeletal fluorosis.

Skeletal fluorosis causes the bones to harden, resulting in a higher risk of bone fractures, joint pain, and bone pain. If the bones become too hard or thick, they could diminish your joint mobility significantly.

Excess fluoride can damage the parathyroid gland. This can result in hyperparathyroidism, which involves uncontrolled secretion of parathyroid hormones. Once this happens, you could suffer a higher risk of bone fractures and bone calcium depletion.

Aside from the effects on the bones and teeth, there are fluoride side effects on brain development especially in young children. It is even worse for pregnant women because their unborn children could develop cognitive decline at some point later in life. There is even evidence showing that children scored lower on IQ tests when exposed to higher fluoride levels at a young age.

Excess fluoride can also cause arthritis, osteoporosis, muscular damage, fatigue, joint-related problems, acne, and other skin problems, cardiovascular problems, including arteriosclerosis and arterial calcification, high blood pressure, myocardial damage, cardiac insufficiency, and heart failure, reproductive issues, such as lower fertility and early puberty in girls.

Overall, health professionals consider fluoride to be safe and effective at reducing the risk of tooth decay when consumed in moderation. However, research studies showing the potential health risks associated with excess fluoride consumption need more consideration before consuming fluoride-based water from public health water systems.

If you are concerned about fluoride intake and want water without fluoride, you can try the following methods.

Reverse osmosis systems are one of the most effective water filters that remove fluoride. It pushes water through a semi-permeable membrane, causing only water molecules to pass through while leaving the contaminants and debris substances behind.

An Environmental Working Group report revealed that reverse osmosis purification can remove significant levels of fluoride from drinking water. The reverse osmosis system is generally installed under your kitchen sink, where it can reduce up to a broad range of potential contaminants in your water.

According to the comprehensive review by Water Filter Guru , the Waterdrop reverse osmosis system can significantly reduce fluoride levels. It is a good choice for fluoride treatment at home. X12 Reverse Osmosis System Filter is Waterdrop's top-selling product of 2024. Its 11-level high-efficiency filtration capability and intelligent faucet design have won the trust of customers.

Distillation is a water treatment method that mimics how water is purified in nature: through evaporation in the atmosphere. When you use a distiller device to heat your drinking water, it generates steam that separates water vapor from the contaminants. Then, the water vapor is transformed back into water liquid, resulting in purified water free from fluoride.

Distillation is effective but can be time-consuming and may require regular maintenance.

Ion exchange filters utilize an ion exchange process that replaces the fluoride ions in your drinking water with harmless ion exchange resins. Unfortunately, there are some potential setbacks to using this filtration method to remove fluoride in water. Those setbacks include the following:

Whether or not to remove fluoride from water is a hotly debated topic now. Many people are concerned about the potential side effects of fluoride in water, including its effects on teeth and overall health. If you believe that fluoride is harmful and are looking for fluoride free water, the reverse osmosis system is widely considered the best solution to fluoride treatment at home.

RO system s use advanced filtration to remove fluoride, heavy metals, chlorine, bacteria, and other contaminants, ensuring pure, clean water for you and your family. Whether you're improving taste or reducing harmful chemicals, an RO system offers a reliable solution for better water quality.