Fluoride - there is a lot of talk about the dangers and toxicity of fluoride in our water and in our toothpaste. After speaking with a scientist, here’s what Joli found out: There are different types of fluoride, 1. soluble fluoride (sodium, potassium & ammonium fluoride) and 2. non-soluble fluoride (calcium fluoride). Soluble fluoride was used during the war as chemical warfare to poison water. This fluoride poison works by drawing all of the calcium out of the body to itself. By adding calcium to fluoride this stops the need for fluoride to draw calcium to itself because calcium is already present in its chemical composition. Calcium fluoride is the one added to our drinking water in small parts per billon. Queensland water does not contain fluoride and experts claim that as a result of this Queenslanders have a higher rate of tooth decay - though critics disagree with these 'supposed' findings, claiming that the opposite is, in fact, true.
Of course, there are also cases of people having too much fluoride causing fluorosis (see picture below) of the teeth and bones. For this reason it is recommended that children under the age of 6 not be introduced to fluoride toothpastes. Sodium fluoride is the fluoride in toothpaste and according to experts is in such low doses so as not to be dangerous. This fluoride is not one of the good guys, which is why they recommend not swallowing the toothpaste and keeping out of reach of children (who like to eat toothpaste) because if swallowed it can lead to kidney damage.
Other experts say it is unreasonable to have fluoride in our water AND in our toothpaste and we should NOT be getting this double dose of fluoride. They say if you use a fluoride toothpaste use a water filter on your tap to decease the amount of fluoride you come into contact in a day.
Of course, there are also cases of people having too much fluoride causing fluorosis (see picture below) of the teeth and bones. For this reason it is recommended that children under the age of 6 not be introduced to fluoride toothpastes. Sodium fluoride is the fluoride in toothpaste and according to experts is in such low doses so as not to be dangerous. This fluoride is not one of the good guys, which is why they recommend not swallowing the toothpaste and keeping out of reach of children (who like to eat toothpaste) because if swallowed it can lead to kidney damage.
Other experts say it is unreasonable to have fluoride in our water AND in our toothpaste and we should NOT be getting this double dose of fluoride. They say if you use a fluoride toothpaste use a water filter on your tap to decease the amount of fluoride you come into contact in a day.
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Ultimately the battle of ‘to fluoride or not to fluoride’ rages on with experts on both sides backing their theories and findings.
Which side of the fence are you on?
You might also like our DIY Toothpaste recipe.
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