Fluoride
Of course, most of us have been to a dentist appointment before. What do they give you? A Fluoride treatment most of the time! There are millions of people who believe that Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay, therefore it is a wonderful and powerful tool. Are there some down sides to Fluoride?
Fredrick S. McKay claims that high levels of fluoride, causes brown stains on your teeth. Later research shows that levels below 1 ppm prevent decay without the staining. In addition to this information, in laboratory animals, fluoride has been shown to enhance the brain’s absorption of aluminum. Excessive fluoride has been shown to damage the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, leading to limited joint mobility, ligament calcification, muscular degeneration and neurological defects. A number of studies have also linked fluoride to as many as 10,000 cancer deaths per year. Fluoride has also been proven to cause aging. Fluoride interacts with the bonds, which maintain the normal shape of proteins. With distorted protein, the immune system attacks it’s own protein, the bodies own tissue. Fluoride at 1 ppm in drinking water can damage the immune system by preventing the migration rate of white blood cells to infected areas, interferes with the destruction of bacteria and other foreign agents.
Personally, I believe that fluoride is a great aspect to drinking water. Almost everything has a bad side to it, and the bad side is always portrayed more than the good side, just like this element. As all of us know, many children and adults are suffering from tooth decay, cavities, root canals, and may other dental problems because of the food that is presented to each and every one of us every day. Now, sweets have become the hot new item whether its skittles, brownies, cookies, or a fruit roll up, we all love them. In result, we need something to help us keep are teeth safe, because most of us only go to the dentist every six months. With Fluoride in our drinking water, it is at least one way that will help us stop this spreading problem. This treatment is something you can guarantee will be followed through, because you cannot live without drinking water. From my experiences with candy and sweets I know that it is best to drink tap water, because it specifically contains this element that helps prevent tooth decay.
For toothpaste and mouthwash, the Food & Drug Administration has come up with three decay-preventing compounds: stannous fluoride, sodium fluoride, and sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP.) All of these are derived from hydrofluoric acid, which is then made by reacting sulfuric acid with fluorspar, a calcium fluoride-rich ore. Ozark discovered the compound in 1949 and by the early 1960s was selling it to toothpaste makers overseas. MFP was used greatly in 1967 when Colgate Palmolive first launched Colgate with MFP providing new competition for Crest and making fluoridated toothpaste as the marketplace standard. Sodium fluoride didn’t come out until 1982 when P&G came out with advanced formula crest, which used hydrated silica that was harsh, and didn’t mess with sodium fluoride separation. The later rise of gel toothpastes also created sodium fluoride demand. Sodium fluoride is probably the leading dentifrice fluoride. There have been many changes made over the years to help make fluoride in toothpaste and mouth washes safer and get the public to approve of this new “tooth decay helper.”
Although earlier I stated that I agree with Fluoride being in drinking water, there are still some concerns that I have towards it. Although staining seems to be a real problem for most people, I have many other major concerns. One of my concerns is that Fluoride causes cancer and is the cause of many deaths in result. The reason why I am concerned with this side effect is because cancer has been diagnosed in my community, and 3 of my close friends have cancer. Some of which go to my school, including Avery, Cam, and my neighbor’s mother. I think that this side effect is very important, because there is no exact cure for cancer, and a way to prevent it but there are ways to help in minuscule amounts and some of these might include working on this side effect of Fluoride. My second major side effect that is a concern is that fluoride causes aging in some ways. This is a problem, because it is shortening the lives of many people unnecessarily. Death is never a good thing, especially when it is caused by something that can be stopped. All in all, fluoride is helpful, but in other ways, its side effects can be very harmful. We must all take a stand to help make Fluoride strictly a helper, and promote no side effects while in drinking water.
Below Are Additional Links I used to research the topic:
Fluoride Why is Fluoridation Important?
Don’t forget to watch this interesting video on Fluoride:
No Comments »
Filed under: Flouride
