As a parent, it’s important to help our children learn how to take care of their own health needs. Part of this is teaching them the best ways to care for their own dental health. First, we make sure they have the best dental care we can find. Then, with the help of a good dentist, we teach them to brush at least twice a day, not too hard, and to floss once a day. That’s all, right? Well, there might be a bit more information that they, and you, need to know.

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In the United States, most commercial toothpaste contains fluoride. You may not even notice that your favorite brand lists it as an ingredient. You are also exposed to fluoride in your tap water. In fact, most of our municipal water supplies in the United States contain a small amount of a fluoride additive. What exactly is fluoride, and what does it do? Is fluoride something we really need? Should fluoride be in our water?

Almost 100 years ago, fluoride was found to improve the teeth of children who consumed well water that contained trace amounts of natural fluoride. This phenomenon showed that using fluoride not only results in less cavities but actually helps teeth in the natural process of remineralizing dental enamel.

In the middle of the 20th century, many American municipalities began to push for fluoridation of their city water reserves. This decision was made to help the teeth of children, especially those groups of children who did not have access to regular, quality dental care. While there was considerable dissent, most U.S. cities made the addition of fluoride a matter of course.

As we all have heard, too much of anything can be dangerous to us. The same is true for fluoride. Fluoride is a naturally occurring element and can be found naturally in many water sources, foods, and beverages. Still, too much fluoride can be bad for you.

The most common recognized issue with too much fluoride in your body is a discoloration of white or brown stains on teeth. This is called dental fluorosis. This typically occurs when people, especially children, ingest their toothpaste while brushing. This is why small children should be taught how to rinse their mouths and how to avoid swallowing toothpaste.

There is also a condition called skeletal fluorosis which results in bone discoloration and brittleness over a long period of time. However, this only occurs in individuals who ingest massive amounts of fluoride on a daily basis. Since black tea contains trace amounts of fluoride, skeletal fluorosis would occur if a person drank one whole pitcher of black tea, brewed with 100 tea bags, a day. Average amounts of fluoride that people come in contact with daily do not cause skeletal fluorosis. In fact, a person would have to go out of their way, on a daily basis, to ingest a harmful amount of fluoride.

The amounts of fluoride in most average commercial toothpastes are perfectly safe for normal use. In fact, brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste and consuming fluoridated drinking water daily will not  expose you to a dangerous amount of fluoride. Just be sure that you and your children do not swallow fluoride toothpaste. Teach your child the good dental habits of rinsing their mouths out with clean water after brushing and cleaning their toothbrush after each use.

Both the American Dental Association and the World Health Organization approve of the addition of fluoride to drinking water. The Center for Disease Control also contends that fluoride, in regulated doses, is perfectly safe for use. There haven’t ever been any confirmed scientific studies showing that fluoride, in the amounts found in toothpaste and tap water, is dangerous for human use. In fact, data does show that there is a correlation between better dental outcomes for children and the addition of fluoride in municipal water.

Fluoride is safe in the typical amounts found in city water and various food sources. However, too much fluoride can be a health problem. This is why it is important to teach your children to never swallow toothpaste and to always rinse their mouths out after brushing their teeth. This is also why only children aged two and older should be given fluoride toothpaste. Prior to the age of two it is recommended that toddlers use fluoride free training toothpaste.

Are you still on the fence about fluoride? If you have any further questions regarding the safety of fluoride for your child, be sure to speak with a dental professional. They will give you helpful tips on how to keep you and your family safe and your smiles bright.