Fluoride is a substance that began to be added to most public drinking water back in the 1950s, when President Eisenhower deemed it an important chemical for protecting the oral health of Americans. Studies at that time had shown that people who drank fluorinated water had fewer cavities because the chemical made their tooth enamel stronger. Since many people suffered from tooth problems, the government decided to take the proactive step of adding fluoride to the nation’s water supply to help improve resistance to cavities. Fluoride occurs naturally in many water sources such as springs and underground waterways, and it derives from the chemical fluorine.

Fluorine is one of the principle chemical elements on earth, and it is listed on the periodic table of elements where it is abbreviated by the letter F. The chemical was discovered originally by a scientist in France back in the late 1800s, and in its raw form it is a yellowish gas that is highly reactive and burns very brightly.

Fluorine is found in the crust of the inner earth, and as it changes form and evolves into other chemical compounds it also produces fluoride. It is this derivative chemical that is used in dental rinses, toothpastes and added to water in small amounts in order to help strengthen teeth and fight tooth disease. The American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all support the practice of adding fluoride to public water supplies to enhance dental health. The way it does that is twofold, by making the tooth enamel harder in new teeth – such as baby teeth and teeth that grow in right after baby teeth – and also by hardening teeth of adults that may not have had fluoride treatment earlier in life.

As these adults take fluoride in the recommended small dosages – through dentist office treatments, drinking water, toothpaste, or other means – their tooth enamel generally becomes less porous and more protected. What happens to make fluoride work is that saliva and acids within foods gradually eat away at the minerals that make up the tooth, dissolving the calcium and phosphorous that is in the subsurface of the tooth. Then later the tooth rebuilds itself, using minerals in the body, just as the body rebuilds bones. When fluoride is present in the right amounts during this rebuilding process, the minerals that get bonded together – such as calcium and phosphorus – do so in a more dense fashion. So the chemical structure of the tooth enamel (or subsurface of each tooth) is made even stronger than it would otherwise be, thanks to the addition of fluoride. In a sense the fluoride acts like a special kind of glue or protective coating, making tooth enamel much more resistant to bacteria and erosion from acidic substances. The addition of fluoride in your water is only a tiny amount, however, because scientists have determined that there only has to be about one part of fluoride for every million parts of drinking water in order for it to be effective.

Too much fluoride can be potentially harmful, on the other hand, so fluoride supplements are carefully regulated. If you drink water from a private well or other source that does not have fluoride added to it, you can have the water tested at a laboratory to see if it contains natural trace elements of organic fluoride derived from fluorine gas inside the ground. If not you can get fluoride treatments from your dentist.

Author Bio: Dr. Gianino has based his dental philosophy on patient respect and genuine relationships, taking the time to learn about the smile of your dreams – the smile you deserve. You can visit his website at DrGianino.com. He would love to hear from you.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: flouride, dentistry, dr gianino, dental care