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The History of Fluoride in Dentistry

Live Life Smiling

fluoride
  • Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics
  • December 30, 2020

 

IN ORDER TO EARN the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance, a tube of toothpaste must contain fluoride as its active ingredient. We also add trace amounts of fluoride to our drinking water across the country to help keep our teeth healthy and strong. So what’s so special about fluoride?

The Wild Origin Story of Fluoridated Drinking Water

Our tale begins at the dawn of the 20th century in Colorado Springs. Local dentists were seeing so many cases of brown — but not decayed — teeth that they named the strange condition “Colorado brown stain.” They were observing what we now know to be fluorosis, and it was happening because of the abundance of naturally occurring fluoride in the town’s drinking water.

The residents of early-1900s Colorado Springs were clearly getting too much fluoride in their water, but dentists wanted to see if there was a level of fluoride that would help reduce cavities without staining the teeth. Happily, there was! The first town to add fluoride to its drinking water was Grand Rapids, Michigan. It brought down the rate of childhood caries by a staggering 60%, with no adverse effects aside from a few cases of mild fluorosis.

Fluoridated Water Today

More than half of the U.S. Population enjoys the dental health benefits of fluoridated drinking water today, something the CDC considers to be one of the ten greatest public health achievements of the last century. It benefits everyone, whether they’re rich or poor, young or old, male or female. It might seem strange if you aren’t familiar with it, but it’s about the same as using iodized salt, baking with enriched flour, or drinking milk with added vitamin D.

What Fluoride Does for Our Teeth

The processes of remineralization and demineralization are happening constantly in our tooth enamel, and the goal of dental health habits is to make sure that remineralization is winning. For that, we need the raw materials to rebuild enamel, and fluoride is one of them. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste is one way to get it, but the trace amounts in our drinking water ensures an continuous supply of fluoride in our saliva.

Fluoride: Not Too Much or Too Little

We saw in Colorado Springs that it’s possible for fluoride to do more harm than good to teeth when the exposure level is too high. Avoiding fluoride entirely, on the other hand,  leaves the teeth more vulnerable to decay. Drinking water only contains up to 1.2 parts per million of fluoride, and we should be spitting out our toothpaste after brushing and only using small amounts of it, especially for children. This is how we hit that Goldilocks zone of cavity protection without fluorosis!

Do You Have Fluoride Questions?

If you still have questions about the fluoride in toothpaste or in drinking water, you can check sources like the ADA and the CDC, or you could ask us! We want our patients to have all the information they need to feel confident in their dental care and the value of the daily habits we encourage.

Our patients’ healthy smiles are wonderful to see!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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EVERY SMILE TELLS A SPECIAL STORY

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community with excellent care and take pride in our mission of having a patient-centered philosophy. Check out what our patients are saying about us!

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Jane E.
It isn't always easy to find providers that are especially patient and kind to patients with special needs. This group ALWAYS go out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The staff is wonderful! We are extremely blessed to have the orthodontic care we need from this business.
Jane E.
It isn't always easy to find providers that are especially patient and kind to patients with special needs. This group ALWAYS go out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable. The staff is wonderful! We are extremely blessed to have the orthodontic care we need from this business.
Legacy S.
Today at Drs Holmes and Palmer my Granddaughter ,Legacy Spurlock , had her braces put on.
I am so happy we Chose them. Not only was the Young lady, putting the braces on very nice That made Legacyy feel very comfortable and answered every question that she asked, and she asked a lot.
We are home now. She doesn’t need anything for pain, She is very proud of her Yes braces and her experience she had.
Thank you to every one that made her experience. One she will always remember.
Legacy S.
Today at Drs Holmes and Palmer my Granddaughter ,Legacy Spurlock , had her braces put on.
I am so happy we Chose them. Not only was the Young lady, putting the braces on very nice That made Legacyy feel very comfortable and answered every question that she asked, and she asked a lot.
We are home now. She doesn’t need anything for pain, She is very proud of her Yes braces and her experience she had.
Thank you to every one that made her experience. One she will always remember.
Staci A.
Very friendly and experienced. Awesome with kids! My son, Evan is 9 and was a little nervous for his first orthodontist consult appointment. They worked well showing and explaining everything they were getting ready to do. Even let him “help” some!! He has a follow up in 6 months to see if it’s time for his braces then. He’s not as worried about his next appointment now. Highly recommend!! Thank you!
Staci A.
Very friendly and experienced. Awesome with kids! My son, Evan is 9 and was a little nervous for his first orthodontist consult appointment. They worked well showing and explaining everything they were getting ready to do. Even let him “help” some!! He has a follow up in 6 months to see if it’s time for his braces then. He’s not as worried about his next appointment now. Highly recommend!! Thank you!
Jessie P.
They are very nice and friendly and such wonderful place would definitely recommend.
Jessie P.
They are very nice and friendly and such wonderful place would definitely recommend.
Amanda “ManDee” T.
This Orthodontist and the employees are amazing. They're very patient and kind with the young patients... I highly recommend!!!!
Amanda “ManDee” T.
This Orthodontist and the employees are amazing. They're very patient and kind with the young patients... I highly recommend!!!!
kristen W.
This is our first experience with orthodontics and we are very pleased with the service and friendliness of staff! They are so helpful and welcoming! Definitely recommend to my friends and family!
kristen W.
This is our first experience with orthodontics and we are very pleased with the service and friendliness of staff! They are so helpful and welcoming! Definitely recommend to my friends and family!
Andrea H.
Great customer service as always! The ladies at the front desk are always welcoming and very friendly. We appreciate the promptness of getting our daughter in for an emergency visit!
Andrea H.
Great customer service as always! The ladies at the front desk are always welcoming and very friendly. We appreciate the promptness of getting our daughter in for an emergency visit!
Emily B.
They are awesome with my girl and offer brace bucks! Great reinforcement and amazing people! 😊
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