Fluoride

About Fluoride

Fluoride is the ionic form of the element fluorine. It is not considered essential for life, but it is incorporated into the mineral of tooth enamel and bone, where it forms fluorapatite, which is more resistant to acid produced by oral bacteria than the hydroxyapatite it partly replaces. Fluoride also reduces demineralization and promotes remineralization of early enamel lesions. Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city to fluoridate its public water supply in 1945, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention later listed community water fluoridation among the great public health achievements of the twentieth century. Fluoridated toothpaste is widely used around the world. Excessive intake while teeth are forming causes dental fluorosis, ranging from faint white streaks to brown mottling, and long term exposure to very high levels, mainly from naturally fluoride rich groundwater in some regions, can cause skeletal fluorosis. Debate continues over community fluoridation policy, particularly regarding possible effects of exposures higher than those used in fluoridation.