Written by: Salma Ibrahim
What would be your reaction if someone told you a way to save money instead of spending it at the dentist’s’ office? Well, fluoride is the tool for saving your money as it helps strengthen teeth. Fake news is associated with fluoride which is one of the most important minerals in our lives. Although it has numerous benefits on the individual’s health like preventing cavities and strengthening people’s bones it was believed to be dangerous and one of the reasons for many dental problems like fluorosis that will be discussed later in the article.
Fluoride is the anion (negative) charge for the element fluorine. Fluorine is the ninth element on the periodic table. It is one of the thirteen most abundant elements on earth. Fluoride has to combine with positively charged ions to form compounds. Some important scientific terms will be discussed in this article to get a better understanding of the process fluoride undergoes to prevent cavities. Fluoride helps strengthen the tooth enamel which is the outer layer of the teeth through the remineralization process. Tooth enamel is made of a compound called hydroxyapatite which is composed of calcium and phosphate. It is an important tissue as it prevents the mouth from being sensitive to temperature. Remineralization process is the process where fluoride penetrates the enamel forming fluorapatite which is composed of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride that is more resistant to cavities than hydroxyapatite. It is an important process since the enamel can be destroyed as a result of not being sheltered and exposed to destructive bacteria. Fluoride supplements should indicate the amount of fluoride on the tube which is beneficial as it informs the users the amount of fluoride they are consuming.
A young dentist named Dr. Frederick McKay was practicing in Colorado, and he discovered an important point that many pieces of research have been done about it. He noticed that all his patients had brown spots on their enamel and did not know the reason. Then, he tested many samples of water and discovered that the spots were a result of an immoderate amount of fluoride. Later Dr. Trendley Dean the first director of the United States National Institute of Dental Research performed an experiment that revealed meaningful information about the dental fluoride. It showed that fluoride is not harmful if the accurate amount is consumed.
The benefits of fluoride are disregarded because of the influence of fake news. People believed that fluoride was one of the reasons for cancer but an Associate Professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity named Sroussi revealed that “fluoridation is so pervasive around the world that it if had the slightest effect on cancer rates, we’d know it by now,”. He wanted to prove that if fluoride is correlated with cancer it would be noticeable. He also stated that “Fluoride treatments are often prescribed for cancer patients who are at heightened risk of dental problems” Does Fluoride Cause Cancer?. Cancer therapy might affect the patients causing their mouths to dry so fluoride supplements are recommended to prevent decay.
Fake news spread when unqualified people start spreading false information without checking their credibility. While reading through Fluoride Action Network’s article “50 Reasons to Oppose Fluoridation,” 50 irrational reasons were stated to disapprove fluoridation. One of the reasons was “Fluoride is the only chemical added to water for the purpose of medical treatment.” That is not true chlorine is also added to the water to clean it and kill the bacteria in it.
In Know the Truth About Using Fluoride article, it provides the reader with a myth and its truth. For example, it starts with a myth that fluoride is used as a poison and then it displays that there are many types of fluoride. The author used chlorine as an example since there are many types of chlorine and each of them is used for different purposes. One is used for killing bacteria in pool water and the other is used in the table salt. He proves that it is the same with fluoride showing that the form used in dental products and water is not harmful.
Another way fake news is correlated with fluoride is the belief that it causes fluorosis. Fluorosis is a disorder that causes mottled brown spots on the tooth enamel. People believed that just employing fluoride would harm the teeth, but fluorosis occurs when an excess amount of fluoride is consumed. Considering the precise amount of fluoride is crucial as it avoids fluorosis. For example, children age from 3 to 6 years is a pea size of fluoride toothpaste. Parents should be careful when brushing their kids’ teeth and should not allow children to swallow toothpaste.
In The Conversation’s article “ Four myths about water fluoridation and why they’re wrong”, four reasons were stated to prove that fluoride and fluoridation are detrimental. One of the reasons is that “Fluoridated water causes cancer and other health problems.” The article disproves this by citing an Australian study that confirms that there is no relationship between fluoride and cancer. It also showed that there is no correlation between fluoride or any other disease like chronic kidney disease or Down Syndrome. Another stated reason is “Fluoride isn’t natural” and then he displays how fluoride is inherently found in rocks, and water. The author reveals three fluoride compounds that are added to water to prevent decay. A consistent message is left by the end of the article showing that adding fluoride to tap water is useful as it is one of the greatest public health achievements in the twentieth century.
The spreading of fake news greatly impacts the public’s perception of health trends that could be beneficial to them. Fluoride is a really valuable mineral as it has numerous positive effects on people’s health when the precise amount is employed. Fake news can be stopped when people start becoming more aware and doing research on important topics. People have to stop believing all the information being notified to them and should think more and check the credibility of the source. By understanding the benefits of fluoride and disregarding fake news, the public could make better use of it. People should check the useful amount of fluoride that they should utilize it to get its benefits.
Moravian Health 