First let me be clear: I’m not a crazy conspiracy person (…on this) I just don’t rely on a municipal well. As far as I know adding fluoride to the private well at my houses is not a thing, good or bad. I did drink municipal water for two years when I lived on campus in college.
That said, is fluoride a benefit to adults or just children?
When I was a kid I got fluoride treatments at the dentist, but then aged out. I’ve never had a cavity in forty years, but I’d like to keep it that way. Should I still be doing it?
Also no, I’m not using the internet as a substitute for a dentist, just my next dental appointment is in four months. TIA
Everyone, even dogs benefit from fluoride in the water. It’s not just children. Virtually all toothpaste contains it too. Some groundwater sources also contain it naturally, some even above the recommended max level from health associations. So I’d say, document yourself with official sources. Test your well levels, then decide. Be mindful that regular consumption of soft drinks, processed foods and even air conditioning nullifies the effects for cavities.
Be mindful that … air conditioning nullifies the effects for cavities.
Got any sources for that? My admittedly very brief search just turned up a bunch of stuff about ventilation and COVID/aerosols.
Dry air, dries the mouth. Dry mouth is sensible to cavities.
I understand that air conditioning removes some moisture from the air, but just how much of an effect does it actually have on oral moisture? I was hoping to find some sort of studies with actual measurements of some sort.
It does sound like some armchair reasoning rather than observation or study.
Thanks. The fluoride in the water itself is not directly relevant because I just don’t have it, but good evidence to raise the topic with my dentist as an adult. I definitely use fluoridated toothpaste.
Yeah, if it’s in toothpaste you’re getting enough.
If you wanted to add fluoride like after you doing well treatment…
I honestly don’t know if that’s a good idea, because who knows how evenly it’ll stay mixed correctly.
Like. You may end up getting a shit ton of fluoride when there’s no rain and your wells low, then barely any when it fills up.
Fluoride toothpaste is likely your best bet for consistent doses.
Makes sense. Even if its a thing I’d probably not keep up on it. My house filters have gotten embarrassingly full in my time
Yeah, I tell people I’m on well/septic even in a city because when this house was built it was before urban sprawl…
And everyone immediately says how great it is that I don’t have to pay water/sewer.
But like, I got to pump the septic, I got to service the well, I got to maintain the well pump and pressure tank, my garden hose has no pressure, have to keep up with water softener using a bunch of salt…
I’m probably not even saving money. And it’s a lot of hassle.
But it would be 10s of thousands of dollars to get it hooked up, and who knows if my 80 year old plumbing can sustain city water pressure.
Not to mention if my electric goes out, so does my water.
I’d 100% prefer city water, $20 a month ain’t shit.
Have you tried a salt free softener?
Yeah, the money isn’t a thing for me. My houses are in parts of NY that just don’t have municipal wells, so there’s no reason to feel one way or the other about it. It just is what it is.
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Thanks. I’ll definitely be asking my dentist just a while until my next appointment
Yes, the benefit doesn’t vary by age. Flouridated water prevents cavities throughout your life.
Thanks
Fluoridated water just isn’t an option for me but I can ask my dentist about options beyond fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash.
I grew up in a house with well water, no fluoride. I’ve had a million cavities, and my dentist suggested that was a contributing factor, although certainly diet and genetics are too.
Also, wish I had a link to the article, but I was reading about how whether you “have” a cavity depends on your dentist’s interpretation of the x-rays and their philosophy about treatment. Some dentists will see a light area and say “let’s fill that before it gets worse” and others will note it and see how things develop. It was actually pretty alarming because sounds like professional standards for dentistry are looser than some other areas of medicine, and the description rang true for some of the dentists I’ve seen.
This is definitely a thing. I mentioned no cavities, but I have had some “slight decalcification we might want to address before it gets worse” that then got better on their own.
Yeah, I would much prefer if someone framed it that way than “you have decay, let’s schedule an appointment for a filling”
It’s notable that medical journals went evidence based in the 70s but only some dental journals made the same switch.
Yeah, I think that’s why my dentist gave me fluoride treatments as a child. Have you gotten any as an adult?
I think I had one treatment as an adult. But a dental hygienist recommended rinsing every night with the purple Listerine that has fluoride in it, which… hasn’t hurt? I think it’s doing the trick and I haven’t had more cavities since, but of course couldn’t say for sure if that’s why.
The scientific concensus is certainly ‘Yes’, but my own personal experience backs that up. I struggled with cavities well into my 30s, especially while at college where I mostly drank distilled water I bought in jugs at the grocery store (the local water supply had frequent issues I was trying to avoid). At some point, my dentist put me on a high-fluoride toothpaste, and the cavities basically stopped. The extra fluoride seems to have a definitive effect for me.
Too late now but I don’t think you’re supposed to drink distilled water. It lacks the minerals your teeth and body need.
ass
No I was mostly thinking of oral intake
🤣
Do you even know how much fluoride is in your water? Sometimes it’s naturally high, that’s how they figured out it was good for your teeth.
I don’t have the ppm memorized, but it was like tenth percentile
I moved to Germany in my late 20’s and lived there for 2 years. I went with perfect teeth; I returned with several cavities. My brushing habits did not change, and while you could blame my cavities on several factors (the food was different; I drank way more beer; I got two years older), I’ve always attributed it to the fact that Germany does not fluoridate their municipal water - and everyone drinks bottled water anyway. At least, the crowd I ran with did. It’s been years, but as I remember, you didn’t get water at restaurants unless you asked, and then if you did, you got bottled water. In any case, I went from drinking fluoridated water regularly to zero flouride except what was in the toothpaste. And, honestly, I don’t remember paying much attention to which toothpaste I bought, and many don’t have flouride in them.
So, yeah. It’s just one anecdote, and there could have been many other factors, but it convinced me about the importance of flouride. Now we drink municipal water (US), but it’s going through a whole-house triple filtration system and I don’t know how much flouride we’re getting. So in addition to the usual tooth care (brushing, flossing) I also rinse with a flouride mouth rinse, and I’ve been doing OK dentally.
Thanks.
I hadn’t thought of a fluoridated mouthwash but that looks obvious in hindsight.
Well, it’s different. On the one hand, you’re not getting flouride into your system; on the other, you’re not getting flouride into your system.
I really don’t know if flouride ingested makes its way to your teeth, or how much difference it makes if it does. But I’m not about to start self-medicating with the stuff, so rinse it is.
I believe the effect is entirely topical, it just doesn’t hurt to ingest a little too. The fluoride ions trigger re-hardening of the tooth enamel and can take the place of missing calcium in the outer enamel structure, but those only happen when they hit the outer enamel in your mouth, you don’t regrow enamel on fully formed teeth
Fluoride is great in toothpaste. Kills the germs and sterilises the gums.
I fought our Council to stop fluoride being added to our water here in Southampton in the UK about 10 years ago. I asked questions about whether gastrointestinal doctors had been consulted and what the effects were on the rest of the body, the bones etc. Nobody could answer. At the time I found that worrying. I am pro-vaccination, pro-science. I pointed out the severe lack of dentists that even kids dont any longer have access to at the time (it has since become far worse). Without actual dentists people lose the influence they provide as well as the treatment.
Chlorine chemistry is added to water to treat the water. Fluorine is added to treat the person. And to me that sounded like medication with no opt out (other than moving home). People should have a right to chose what they dont want to put in their bodies, even if it is technically slightly harmful in the long term (even nutrients). Science is learning that over sterilisation of other parts of the body (eg the skin) can affect the health. What we need is far, far more data on those that do have these water additions to see what happens to the populations health.
Fluoride does not kill or sterilize anything. It reacts with enamel (hydroxyapetate) to convert it to a stronger version (hydroxyfluorapatite).
People who want their enamel to be softer and wear through are welcome to drink bottled water.
I am already paying for water - through my water bill. I have a right to as clear a water as possible. And fluoride is technically a sterilising agent - fluorine and chlorine are right next to each other in the periodic table.
There’s a Sawbones episode on fluoride and its effects on teeth (and why it’s good for you), if you like to be educated and entertained at the same time, I highly recommend listening to it! Great podcast.
And yes, fluoride is good for adult teeth, too.
I’ve never heard of floride treating a well. But wouldn’t it be better to add floride after the filter etc, for more consistent dosage?
I would think so. I use fluoridated toothpaste, and another commenter recommended fluoridated mouthwash.
Seems like the answer is yes and I’ll be discussing it with my dentist.
For a municipal supply it’s worth the effort, it improves oral health for a whole community at the cost of some fluoride and a dosimeter. For a private supply it’s not worth it. Fluoridated toothpaste and mouthwash will give you a good dose of fluoride.
