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Wouldn't some part of toothpaste end up ingested? With strong fluoride pastes (like those 5000 ppm specialized ones) could there also be a risk?

adrian_b 3y ago
Obviously a little fluoride will be ingested. However it is doubtful that this would increase much the total amount of fluoride that is ingested daily, mainly from the plants that you eat and from the natural water that you drink. When you brush your teeth with fluoridated paste or you wash your mouth with a fluoride solution and you spit it, most of the fluoride acts against the tooth enamel to harden it and only a little is ingested. On the other hand, when you drink fluoridated water, only very little of the fluoride acts against the tooth enamel to harden it and most of it is ingested, which will provide no further benefits, but which might have bad effects. How there is even a discussion about which choice is better, beats me.
- threeseed 3y ago
  > which will provide no further benefits Source please.
  - jtbayly 3y ago
    I’d say anybody claiming the opposite would need to provide a source. Or even just a theoretical reason to think it could be beneficial. All I’ve ever heard is that the benefit is in tooth contact.
- webworker 3y ago
  That's before even considering topical application through the gums
- hgsgm 3y ago
  When you assume the reality that many people don't brush, the benefits of brushing have no impact.
tomatocracy 3y ago
Yes - in the UK at least that's one of the reasons why the ultra high fluoride toothpastes are effectively only available when prescribed by a dentist.
Semaphor 3y ago
> (like those 5000 ppm specialized ones) Those also come with a warning to only use it once a week, and to limit contact to 2-5 minutes. At least, all I’ve seen in Germany. edit: Okay, apparently those I’m talking about have 12,500 ppm, I don’t know about 5000 ppm as I have not seen those.
mihaaly 3y ago
It is on the digestive system, but the benefits are much greater.

adrian_b 3y ago

Obviously a little fluoride will be ingested. However it is doubtful that this would increase much the total amount of fluoride that is ingested daily, mainly from the plants that you eat and from the natural water that you drink. When you brush your teeth with fluoridated paste or you wash your mouth with a fluoride solution and you spit it, most of the fluoride acts against the tooth enamel to harden it and only a little is ingested. On the other hand, when you drink fluoridated water, only very little of the fluoride acts against the tooth enamel to harden it and most of it is ingested, which will provide no further benefits, but which might have bad effects. How there is even a discussion about which choice is better, beats me.

threeseed 3y ago
> which will provide no further benefits Source please.
- jtbayly 3y ago
  I’d say anybody claiming the opposite would need to provide a source. Or even just a theoretical reason to think it could be beneficial. All I’ve ever heard is that the benefit is in tooth contact.
webworker 3y ago
That's before even considering topical application through the gums
hgsgm 3y ago
When you assume the reality that many people don't brush, the benefits of brushing have no impact.

tomatocracy 3y ago

Yes - in the UK at least that's one of the reasons why the ultra high fluoride toothpastes are effectively only available when prescribed by a dentist.

Semaphor 3y ago

> (like those 5000 ppm specialized ones) Those also come with a warning to only use it once a week, and to limit contact to 2-5 minutes. At least, all I’ve seen in Germany. edit: Okay, apparently those I’m talking about have 12,500 ppm, I don’t know about 5000 ppm as I have not seen those.

mihaaly 3y ago

It is on the digestive system, but the benefits are much greater.