6 ms·

This is something life changing for some of us. I grew up in an area where water has a lot of fluoride and we didn’t get to know until I was 16.. side effect is

by M_bara 2y ago

This is something life changing for some of us. I grew up in an area where water has a lot of fluoride and we didn’t get to know until I was 16.. side effect is I have very brittle teeth.. I’ve shattered a couple due to bad rice (had a small stone in it), lentils, sliver of bone … Now, the kicker is Colgate et al have been marketing fluoride toothpaste to the same region to people facing fluorosis knowingly - profits above all else. so if this treatment comes through, I’ll be lining up!

lgleason 2y ago
I thought the fluoride was supposed to be good for teeth, I guess too much has the opposite effect. TIL
- coffeebeqn 2y ago
  You’re not supposed to swallow it. It builds up in the body (in teeth mainly?)
  - mrits 2y ago
    My mom was obsessed with flouride in water so I actually asked my dentist about it. According to an actual health professional it is quite good for the teeth and excessive amounts only affect the appearance not structure.
    - Sharlin 2y ago
      Fluoride catalyzes remineralization of dissolved calcium and phosphate atoms back to hydroxyapatite; this also happens without fluoride, but less efficiently. In addition fluorine ions can substitute the hydroxide ions in hydroxyapatite, forming fluorapatite which is more resistant against acid.
    - guerrilla 2y ago
      That actual health professional was wrong. It depends on the exposure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_fluorosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_fluorosis
      - mrits 2y ago
        I recommend reading that again, or better yet, ask your dentist to explain why you are wrong
        guerrilla 2y ago
        > The severity of the condition is dependent on the dose, duration, and age of the individual during the exposure. > Severe : 5 : All enamel surfaces are affected and hypoplasia is so marked that the general form of the tooth may be affected. The major diagnostic sign of this classification is discrete or confluent pitting. Brown stains are widespread and teeth often present a corroded-like appearance.
    - Auracle 2y ago
      Today’s the day you find out “actual health professionals” can be wrong or no longer up to date. That’s why second opinions on important things are vital.
      - mrits 2y ago
        I'll take the word of the health professional, thanks
        aatd86 2y ago
        Good luck. I have had my fair share of wrong diagnostics myself. Turns out health professionals are themselves skeptics... (covid showed us already) Well it's science and at some point, science claimed that earth was flat so... Good luck again :D (point is, don't trust blindly)
  - chaorace 2y ago
    To be clear: drinking water sources often contain flouride and swallowing water is generally not optional. The source can be natural or artificial, but the outcome will be the same if you get an unusually excessive amount during developmental years. As with all nutrients, too much will inevitably become bad for you (thankfully, in the case of flouride, the therapeutic index is quite generous) With all of this being said, once you're an adult there's no longer any particularly viable pathways from the bloodstream to your outer teeth, so flouride in the body becomes mostly disconnected from flouride in the teeth (and vice versa). Flouride's effects on the body are less well understood, albeit only because we struggle to measure such apparently small effects on a general population.
- marcosdumay 2y ago
  Too much of most things is bad.
  - adaml_623 2y ago
    Too much of anything will kill you...
- dingosity 2y ago
  I always thought we started fluoridation of water so the Soviets couldn't figure out how much uranium (and later plutonium) we were producing. UF6 is a bi-product of uranium enrichment and it's fairly straight-forward to estimate how much we're producing by taking water samples at the mouths of various rivers. But if everyone is brushing their teeth with fluoride, then it's a lot harder to accurately measure how much is due to enrichment. This is very clearly a conspiracy theory, but water fluoridation is one of those topics that seems to attract them.
- iamflimflam1 2y ago
  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/ Millions of people in England receive fluoridated water. This means fluoride has been added to bring it up to around 1mg of fluoride per litre of water, which is a level found to reduce tooth decay levels. Now I know there is a running joke around the English having bad teeth. But I imagine if millions of people were having issues we’d know about it.
  - therealdrag0 2y ago
    Added fluoride is done at safe levels. But some natural water sources have TOO MuCH fluoride which is unsafe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_toxicity#Bones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_toxicity#Bones
jebby 2y ago
Fluoride is good for your teeth. Not sure what you're talking about, but it's scientifically inaccurate. Also, fluorosis is a cosmetic issue, it doesn't weaken your teeth. And it happens when you're growing your permanent teeth when your parents forget to teach you to not swallow your toothpaste. It wouldn't affect you now. If your water is over-fluorinated, you have far bigger problems that stem from your local government.
- Retric 2y ago
  You’re wrong on both counts. The geology of many areas cause excess fluoride in well water without any government intervention, which can then become worse when using fluorinated toothpaste. It’s rarely a significant issue in the US, but gets far in some countries. “These sources include drinking water with fluoride, fluoride toothpaste—especially if swallowed by young children” Ie: swallowing makes it worse but the point of fluoride in toothpaste is to be absorbed, so some will get absolutely even in those who already have issues. https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/dental_fluorosis/index.htm#:~:text=What%20is%20dental%20fluorosis%3F,years%2C%20age%208%20and%20younger https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/dental_fluorosis/index....
  - mb7733 2y ago
    Seems to be a cosmetic issue only?
    - Retric 2y ago
      > cosmetic issue only? Only at low levels: “Moderate and severe forms of dental fluorosis, which are far less common, cause more extensive enamel changes. In the rare, severe form, pits may form in the teeth.”
    - Auracle 2y ago
      Some studies have shown it (high fluoride, and possibly too low of fluoride too) affecting IQ. It’s a shame if you mention anything about possible negative effects of fluoride you get lumped in with the crazies.

by M_bara 2y ago

lgleason 2y ago

I thought the fluoride was supposed to be good for teeth, I guess too much has the opposite effect. TIL

coffeebeqn 2y ago
You’re not supposed to swallow it. It builds up in the body (in teeth mainly?)
- mrits 2y ago
  My mom was obsessed with flouride in water so I actually asked my dentist about it. According to an actual health professional it is quite good for the teeth and excessive amounts only affect the appearance not structure.
  - Sharlin 2y ago
    Fluoride catalyzes remineralization of dissolved calcium and phosphate atoms back to hydroxyapatite; this also happens without fluoride, but less efficiently. In addition fluorine ions can substitute the hydroxide ions in hydroxyapatite, forming fluorapatite which is more resistant against acid.
  - guerrilla 2y ago
    That actual health professional was wrong. It depends on the exposure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_fluorosis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_fluorosis
    - mrits 2y ago
      I recommend reading that again, or better yet, ask your dentist to explain why you are wrong
      - guerrilla 2y ago
        > The severity of the condition is dependent on the dose, duration, and age of the individual during the exposure. > Severe : 5 : All enamel surfaces are affected and hypoplasia is so marked that the general form of the tooth may be affected. The major diagnostic sign of this classification is discrete or confluent pitting. Brown stains are widespread and teeth often present a corroded-like appearance.
  - Auracle 2y ago
    Today’s the day you find out “actual health professionals” can be wrong or no longer up to date. That’s why second opinions on important things are vital.
    - mrits 2y ago
      I'll take the word of the health professional, thanks
      - aatd86 2y ago
        Good luck. I have had my fair share of wrong diagnostics myself. Turns out health professionals are themselves skeptics... (covid showed us already) Well it's science and at some point, science claimed that earth was flat so... Good luck again :D (point is, don't trust blindly)
- chaorace 2y ago
  To be clear: drinking water sources often contain flouride and swallowing water is generally not optional. The source can be natural or artificial, but the outcome will be the same if you get an unusually excessive amount during developmental years. As with all nutrients, too much will inevitably become bad for you (thankfully, in the case of flouride, the therapeutic index is quite generous) With all of this being said, once you're an adult there's no longer any particularly viable pathways from the bloodstream to your outer teeth, so flouride in the body becomes mostly disconnected from flouride in the teeth (and vice versa). Flouride's effects on the body are less well understood, albeit only because we struggle to measure such apparently small effects on a general population.
marcosdumay 2y ago
Too much of most things is bad.
- adaml_623 2y ago
  Too much of anything will kill you...
dingosity 2y ago
I always thought we started fluoridation of water so the Soviets couldn't figure out how much uranium (and later plutonium) we were producing. UF6 is a bi-product of uranium enrichment and it's fairly straight-forward to estimate how much we're producing by taking water samples at the mouths of various rivers. But if everyone is brushing their teeth with fluoride, then it's a lot harder to accurately measure how much is due to enrichment. This is very clearly a conspiracy theory, but water fluoridation is one of those topics that seems to attract them.
iamflimflam1 2y ago
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fluoride/ Millions of people in England receive fluoridated water. This means fluoride has been added to bring it up to around 1mg of fluoride per litre of water, which is a level found to reduce tooth decay levels. Now I know there is a running joke around the English having bad teeth. But I imagine if millions of people were having issues we’d know about it.
- therealdrag0 2y ago
  Added fluoride is done at safe levels. But some natural water sources have TOO MuCH fluoride which is unsafe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_toxicity#Bones https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_toxicity#Bones

jebby 2y ago

Fluoride is good for your teeth. Not sure what you're talking about, but it's scientifically inaccurate. Also, fluorosis is a cosmetic issue, it doesn't weaken your teeth. And it happens when you're growing your permanent teeth when your parents forget to teach you to not swallow your toothpaste. It wouldn't affect you now. If your water is over-fluorinated, you have far bigger problems that stem from your local government.

Retric 2y ago
You’re wrong on both counts. The geology of many areas cause excess fluoride in well water without any government intervention, which can then become worse when using fluorinated toothpaste. It’s rarely a significant issue in the US, but gets far in some countries. “These sources include drinking water with fluoride, fluoride toothpaste—especially if swallowed by young children” Ie: swallowing makes it worse but the point of fluoride in toothpaste is to be absorbed, so some will get absolutely even in those who already have issues. https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/dental_fluorosis/index.htm#:~:text=What%20is%20dental%20fluorosis%3F,years%2C%20age%208%20and%20younger https://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/faqs/dental_fluorosis/index....
- mb7733 2y ago
  Seems to be a cosmetic issue only?
  - Retric 2y ago
    > cosmetic issue only? Only at low levels: “Moderate and severe forms of dental fluorosis, which are far less common, cause more extensive enamel changes. In the rare, severe form, pits may form in the teeth.”
  - Auracle 2y ago
    Some studies have shown it (high fluoride, and possibly too low of fluoride too) affecting IQ. It’s a shame if you mention anything about possible negative effects of fluoride you get lumped in with the crazies.