So, the point to this long story is that the dentist recommended doing fluoride treatments every 6 months and brushing Finn's teeth with a fluoride toothpaste. Before going to the dentist we had avoided any toothpaste that contained fluoride as I had heard some negative things. I asked the dentist about the risks of fluoride; he looked at me like I was crazy, said it is perfectly safe, and that it is very important to maintain tooth health.
Portland does not fluoridate our public water supply. I however grew up in a town that did, and I had a slew of cavities the first time I went to the dentist. Plus, I always used toothpaste with fluoride as a child and apparently it did me no good. So, to put it lightly, I am not convinced of how much it helps... Doing some web base research resulted in many sites that claim the complete safety of fluoride. However, more than a few sites had a lot of negative things to say about this chemical that seems ot be present everywhere.
Several websites said that fluoride is extremely toxic; more toxic than lead and only slightly less toxic than arsenic. Some of the risks associated with fluoride are: acute poisoning, cancer, birth defects, depressed immune systems, formation of brittle bones, lowered IQ, and gastrointestinal problems. Several websites also talked about how prominent fluoride is, and that come companies are even adding it to infant formulas and other products geared towards children. Hmmmmm.
How can something that is said to be so toxic be everywhere and be allowed to be in my child's water, food and toothpaste? And why am I supposed to be taking him in for mouthfuls of it twice a year? But if I don't give it to him will he have teeth problems for the rest of his life?
I guess I am still fairly torn about this. Since we had that terrible dentist visit in August, I have had Finn brush his teeth with fluoride toothpaste only at night, and the other daily brushing are with a paste that does not contain the chemical. I always make sure he spits it out at night, but I have to wonder how much he is actually swallowing... I don't want his teeth to get any worse (of all people I know how horrible dental pains can be) but I would also rather see him need dental work than get cancer. I don't think I will bring him back for another fluoride treatment anytime soon, but then start to wonder if I am being neglectful.
What are your thoughts on fluoride? Do you give your child fluoride toothpaste or take them in for fluoride treatments? Did you have fluoride as a child?
This is a hard one. I've heard mixed reviews about fluoride. I grew up and still live in an area that treats the water, and my parents opted for fluoride treatments for my siblings and myself at each cleaning. We never had any adverse reactions, and I've actually never had a cavity. So maybe the treatments DO have some benefits, or maybe I just have strong teeth.
ReplyDeleteIf he's old enough to spit, and you're only using a pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste, I wouldn't stress too much. Especially if it's not in your water. Still, I would go with your gut. My kids are still using fluoride-free toothpastes because Trinity likes to slurp the toothpaste off her toothbrush and Gabe doesn't understand how to spit. Eventually, I probably will switch them to fluoride toothpaste. Not sure about treatments yet, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Good luck!
Many Zahnpasta items that do not use the key connected with whitening grab the dirt from the moment splits on the enameled in an attempt to indicate the genuine appeal of this enamel backside. i am a dentist and i don't think this is a good idea alone is too abrasive for teeth, combitanion with sea salt is worse. we don't advise our patients to use whitening Zahncreme which contains contents like baking powder. using them for too long cause enamel thinning and roughening so they cause more staining eventually.
ReplyDeleteI'm on on the fence about fluoride too. I'm surprised (I guess...not really) by your dentist's reaction. It's been but a small window of time that we've been using fluoride, so I have a hard time believing that it's essential. Have you ever heard of Weston A. Price? His theory is that nutrition is far more important to dental health than anything you can apply topically, which I agree with. It sounds like Finn might have something else going on though. Best of luck on making a decision!
ReplyDeletePoor Finn!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of fluoride although I couldn't debate whether or not there are times it is beneficial/necessary. I had fluoride treatments for 8 years of my childhood but none in my water supply. I didn't notice a change in my dental health - my only (2) cavities have appeared since I stopped fluoride treatments and fluoridated toothpaste but had fluoride in my water? So I don't really know if it helps.
I am very happy though that my city recently decided to stop fluoridating our water. I've been avoiding fluoride for over ten years but have been reading more about it recently.
Dr. Mercola has a lot to say on the topic (I'm adding the link although I haven't read more than a couple of these articles): http://search.mercola.com/search/Pages/results.aspx?k=fluoride
Hopefully that helps - not just adding more confusion.
Ultimately I think you need to trust your choice on it.
You're lucky to live somewhere without fluoride in the water supply (yet another point in a long list in favor of Portland).
ReplyDeleteI can see that there may be some benefit to topically applied fluoride, like in the dentist's office, and maybe in toothpaste, but I don't get why constantly ingesting it in drinking water is necessary or helpful.
Unfortunately, home systems that remove fluoride are very costly, so I kind of feel that we're stuck with it.
I did receive fluoride treatments as a kid, and, after 28 years, might have the first sign of a cavity. The hygienist recommended that we "wait and see," and that I use a toothbrush to apply a fluoride mouth rinse to that tooth. I have yet to purchase the rinse, as most are loaded with artificial coloring and other questionable ingredients.