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Fluoride - Is it safe?

Posted by Dylan Nuttall on 15 April 2019
Fluoride - Is it safe?
If you have paid any attention to the news in recent years, you would have seen the controversy surrounding fluoride and the impact it has on your oral health. If you haven't heard some people are upset about the idea of fluoride being used by dentists and being present in drinking water all across the globe. But why? Fluoride is a naturally occurring substance found in ALL natural water supplies which has been found to reduce tooth decay in people dating as far back as the 1940's. So where does the stipulation of it being harmful come from?  

 

Much like any controversy, the issues usually stem from widespread misinformation. Determining the cause of the misinformation usually leads you to some initial 'study' that sparked the outrage much like what happened with fluoridation. 

 

While most people might realise that these studies are probably fabricated or exaggerated; the more misinformed individuals might take these studies for fact. Before jumping to any conclusions on the internet, it is always important to do your own research, and get more than just one opinion. In the case of fluoride, it has been proven by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) in Australia that while extreme amounts of fluoride consumption can affect your health negatively, the levels of fluoride within out drinking water can NOT. 

 

Perhaps the best test sample one must consider is our own city of Brisbane, which has had fluoridated water only since 2008. Prior to this, decay rates were far greater than all other capital cities in Australia. Since fluoridated water was added, Brisbane's decay rate has dropped to 2.5 times lower that of non-fluoridated regions in Queensland, with no noted increase in adverse health conditions. 

 

Fluoride has been proven to reduce decay in people of all ages and the resulting health benefits should be considered one of the greatest global health initiatives of the past 100 years.  If you have any questions pertaining to fluoride, call Brisbane Dental Studio on (07) 3862 1702.

Author:Dylan Nuttall

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