Is Fluoride Toothpaste Bad For You?

Fluoride May Be Harmful to Human Health

You may need to stop buying toothpaste that contains fluoride. Warning labels on children'stoothpaste say that if more than a small amount is swallowed, you must contact the poison control center. Yikes! And we're letting our children handle this stuff themselves?

Kids' toothpaste usually contains 0.15% fluoride. If they consume more than 500 ppm of fluoride, it's considered poisonous. It can react with calcium and magnesium in the blood causing deficiencies in these two minerals.

Is fluoride in toothpaste bad, then?

© C. Calhoun 2012. All rights reserved.

Fluoride is in Drinking Water

While once thought to be effective at helping to prevent tooth decay, evidence suggests that added fluoride may be doing more harm than good. It is the only additive that is in water as if it were a medication. Other additives like chlorine and other bacteria-killing agents serve to purify it.

Most European countries have banned fluoridation in their water. Communities themselves can choose whether to add it to their water or not.

Back in the US, communities, as a rule, add fluoride to their water. This "blanket" approach to treating for prevention of tooth decay affects a number of individuals who are sensitive to fluoridated water. They may not even know they're sensitive!

If a person needs fluoride, topical application - not internal - is a better method, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Do you use fluoride-free toothpaste?

•  Yes - always.
•  Sometimes - when it's on sale.
•  No, I like my fluoride.

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Fluoride Free!!

	Tom's of Maine Fluoride Free Children's Toothpaste, Silly Strawberry, 4.2-Ounce (Pack of 3) Amazon Price: $9.54 List Price: $15.19
	Tom's of Maine Antiplaque Fluoride-free Peppermint Baking Soda Toothpaste with Propolis and Myrrh, 5.5-Ounce (Pack of 2) Amazon Price: $7.82 List Price: $12.37

Ingestion of Fluoride Poses Health Risk

Because many American communities add fluoride to drinking water, it's important to know several facts:

• The American Dental Association no longer recommends that babies drink fluoridated water, as of 2006.
• Fluoride is found in multiple sources: drinking water, foods processed with fluoridated water, toothpaste, and even in some pharmaceuticals.
• Too much fluoride is bad for the thyroid gland, kidneys, bones and even the brain.

If you need or want fluoride, there is a better way.

If fluoride is taken out of the water supply, the small amounts needed will be in your toothpaste. Your dentist's office is another good place to find topical applications of fluoride.

Source: No Fluoride

So, Should You Buy Fluoride Toothpaste?

• Children often swallow the toothpaste they use. They're tempted by the taste. They can easily get too much fluoride especially if your water supply is fluoridated.
• Even if people don't actually ingest fluoride, they can still absorb it through their gums in fluoridated toothpaste.
• Fluoride can contribute to dermatitis in sensitive people. They recommend that if a person has this, especially near the mouth, to stop using fluoridated toothpaste and see if the condition improves.