Fluoride Research Paper

Fluorine In the Water When people brush their teeth, they always consume a slight amount of fluoride. Fluoride, being the simplest anion of the element fluorine, is used for dental hygiene purposes, mainly in toothpaste. However, the substance has been added to water supply in the United States and other parts of the world in order to improve overall dental health of the population just from water consumption. Water fluoridation is the controlled addition of fluoride to a public water supply to reduce tooth decay. Fluoridated water contains fluoride at a level that is effective for preventing cavities; this can occur naturally or by adding fluoride. However, it is not particularly healthy to consume large amounts of fluoride like this,

Fluoride is a substance that contains salts, minerals, and chemical reagents. On top of that, it is an inorganic anion derived from the element fluorine on the periodic table. That is definitely something that people should not put directly into their bodies. “Fluoride is a highly toxic substance. Consider, -- the poison warning that the FDA now requires on all fluoride toothpastes sold in the U.S. or the tens of millions of people throughout China and India who now suffer serious crippling bone diseases from drinking water with elevated levels of fluoride (Fluoride Action Network).” Even though fluoride is good for your dental health and bones, too much of it is unhealthy. The chronic health risks associated with the fluoridation of water is off the charts, as the exposure from drinking water is quite unreasonable. Hypothetically, if somebody consumes a harmless amount of sodium every day, the effects should not be so negative and potent. However, if a lethal dose of sodium was consumed every day, then a toxicity would occur, putting the individual at risk for hypertension . The same applies to every other substance including fluoride. Too much of anything is not healthy for the human body. Elevated levels of a chemical that is meant to be consumed in moderation, or not at all, will lead to unsafe results health wise. If countries

Acute fluoride poisoning, meaning that even a small dose can have negative repercussions, causes a range of “clinical syndrome characterized by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and paresthesias” (NEJM Group). In 1992, an Alaskan village suffered from fluoride poisoning because of excess amount in the water supply. The researchers “surveyed residents, measured their urinary fluoride concentrations, and analyzed their serum-chemistry profiles. A case of fluoride poisoning was defined as an illness consisting of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or numbness or tingling of the face or extremities that began between May 21 and 23” (NEJM Group). Resulting from the conducted tests were accounts of 1 death out of nearly 300 people who were poisoned. When the water was tested, it was shown to contain a whopping 150 mg/L, and one sample containing 1.1 mg/L, only 110th of a mg more than the set 1 mg recommendation for water fluoridation in the United States. The researchers concluded that “inspection of public water systems and monitoring of [all] fluoride concentrations are needed to prevent outbreaks of fluoride poisoning” (NEJM Group). If there are water sources in the country that result in even one death, and even health repercussion from tiny amounts of fluoride in the water, then man-made fluoridation