Recently I came across the topic of fluoridation of our drinking water (again). This is a hot button topic and there are many differing opinions on the subject, specifically what level is safe, if any. The issue is that most of us consume fluoride without even knowing it and with little control over how much we are ingesting. This occurs by simply drinking and cooking with water from the tap (most of the United States adds fluoride to their drinking water), and drinking soda (made with tap water), in addition to using toothpaste and rinses that also contain it. There are estimates that about 10% of older children will get too much fluoride simply because of the combined exposure from water, toothpaste and residues in foods, etc. In Western Europe, for instance, 97 percent of the population drinks non-fluoridated water. More people drink fluoridated water in the U.S. alone than in the rest of the world combined, even though there have been over 34 human studies and 100 animal studies that have shown that fluoride toxicity (even low levels) can lead to a wide variety of health problems.
If this concerns you, and it should, then here are some tips to help keep fluoride levels in check for your family:
- Install a water filter that filters out fluoride
- Switch to toothpaste that does not contain fluoride, your health food store has multiple options
- Decline the fluoride rinses offered at the dentist’s office (they most likely will look at you like you are from another planet, ignore this), because inevitably some of the rinse will end up in your child’s stomach
- Switch to a fluoride free mouthwash
- Avoid Teflon pans, as they have been shown to effect fluoride levels in your food
Some alternatives to using the above mentioned dental treatments are Neem mouthwash, coconut oil, Myrrh, ozonated olive oil and Oregano oil. Again, check your health food store for available options.