Is fluoride in toothpaste dangerous?

Is the fluoride in toothpaste dangerous?

• Answer:

  Ordinary store bought toothpaste CAN be dangerous due to it's fluoride content but only if both the directions for product use AND the warning label are both ignored. While the benefits of fluoride can be certainly debated and discussed, as well as it's pros and cons, it has been approved by both the FDA and recommended by the ADA (American Dental Association) and there is a great deal of science behind the reason why it's in your toothpaste and very likely, in your public drinking water. Some suggestions regarding a 'healthy' intake of fluoride: 1) It is highly advisable to keep fluorinated toothpaste out of the reach of very young children as many develop a taste for it (even if you and I cannot possibly imagine purposefully eating it due to the unappealing taste) and they can VERY easily eat a quarter of a tube of toothpaste without the adults in the household even noticing the missing product. If you believe that your child has consumed much more than a pea sized amount of fluorinated toothpaste, call your local poison control center. They would much rather have a thousand non-emergency 'nuisance' calls than miss one call that was an emergency. Even something as seemingly 'dumb' as a "I think my child might have eaten my toothpaste" question! 2) Teach proper brushing at a very young age. Start with a training toothpaste or an infant toothpaste (very likely non-fluorinated) and supervise their brushing. Most importantly, teach them to spit the product out and NOT to swallow it. It's this behavior that will ensure that they are properly brushing and also not ingesting their toothpaste. While I have a personal distain for children's toothpaste that tastes 'yummy', such as a berry or bubble gum flavored toothpaste (nothing quite like eating a tube of their own toothpaste and then wondering what Mommy and Daddy's toothpaste tastes like!) it's completely a parental decision you'll need to make. Some would rather introduce their child to brushing with something that tastes good rather than encourage poor brushing habits with a 'tastes like medicine' toothpaste. 3) If you drink water from the tap (or use it for cooking, make your orange juice from concentrate, buy dry (boxed) milk, use it in your baby and infant formulas, etc etc) then find out if your town fluorinates their water. If they do, it's usually recommended (check with your own dentist) that you do NOT 'double-dose' your fluoride intake, even as an adult. As it's far cheaper and far easier to control the fluoride that's in your toothpaste than it is in your tap water, switch to an non-fluorinated toothpaste. It may be slightly hard to find in your regular toothpaste aisle but if your supermarket has a natural food section, it's very likely located there. You can also certainly frequent your own small-town natural food/health store and buy it there as well; they'll not only welcome your business but find much more in the store to your liking than just their toothpaste. 4) If you have concerns over fluoride, check with both your dentist and your health care professional before completely removing it from or adding it to your diet. While fluoride has been shown to be fairly beneficial to both teeth and the skeleton structure, there are also growing concerns about fluoride and what is considered to be a 'safe' amount, or if it's safe at all. Get a second opinion, even if the first opinion is yours. On a personal note, I feel I have had an extremely favorable result from all of the fluorinated products that I was exposed to as both a small and then as an adolescent child; I drank fluorinated water, used fluorinated toothpaste AND (as was customary in the 70's) even had routine and regular fluoride treatments at the dentist. Now, as an 41 year old adult, I have not had even a single cavity (or filling) my entire life, nor have I experienced any tooth problems or tooth loss. While many would promptly accuse me of being a health nut that avoids sugar and/or a very good 'model' brusher and/or compulsive about my personal dental care, I assure you. I am NONE of these things. I feel I owe my good teeth to my parents and their 'love' for fluoride and not keeping soda in the house. I have also not had ANY side effects or health problems that could at all be attributed to my fluoride intake.