Is fluoride in toothpaste harmful to health? | health | Essential information for better health | DW



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Adding fluoride to toothpaste is the most popular use of this substance, and fluoride strengthens the tooth enamel layer and replaces minerals lost at the onset of decay.

Fluoride is a chemical compound that is rarely found in its pure form, but which combines immediately with other chemicals. This results in various compounds, including sodium fluoride. Fluoride plays a central role in building and maintaining bones and teeth, according to the German website MyLife, which deals with public health.

The element fluorine also acts in different ways against caries bacteria in the oral cavity and the acid they produce: it accelerates the incorporation of calcium phosphate from saliva into tooth enamel. This leaves less time for decaying bacteria to increase lumen of porous areas of tooth enamel.

Is fluoride harmful to teeth?

No, the opposite is true. According to Stefan Zimmer, dentist specializing in public health: “Fluoride is the main factor in preventing tooth decay” and continues: “There are 300 international clinical studies on fluoridated toothpastes alone, which would prove its effectiveness, and Zimmer explains that twice daily brushing with toothpaste Prostheses containing fluoride compared to non-fluoride cream prevent tooth decay by more than 30 percent.

Is fluoride toxic?

According to the German site “T Online”, some experts warn of the confusion between fluoride and fluorine, which is toxic to humans. The words fluoride are similar to fluorine, but there are chemical differences in the structure. Valfluorides are fluorinated compounds. Treating it chemically reduces the toxicity of fluoride, explains the National Association of Dentists in Germany.

The combination of fluoride with fluoride has questioned its feasibility and warned of its dangers, while some have called for relying on nature and a healthy diet to provide fluoride. However, this is not true, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Germany.

A variant of nature?

In theory, fluoride can be found everywhere in nature – in whole grain products, nuts, black tea or fish, according to the German website, however, the amount of natural fluorides is not sufficient for a effective prevention of tooth decay.

There is also no need to fear an overdose of fluoridated table salt: the fluoride content is so low that a high intake of salt would in itself be toxic. Unlike many countries, such as the United States, water in Germany and many European homes is not mixed with fluoride. Therefore, the fear of exposing the body to large amounts of fluoride is not out of the question.

The guideline values ​​of the German Dietetic Association for a sufficient amount of fluoride per day range from 3.1 to 3.8 milligrams for adults and from 0.7 to 2.9 milligrams for children 12 months and adolescents. .

Children and fluoride?

Stefan Zimmer warns that cavities can attack teeth as soon as they appear in the oral cavity. According to him, baby teeth are “particularly at risk”. The German Society for Dental Preservation recently recommended higher doses of 500 to 1000 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride, especially for baby teeth.

For children aged two to six, experts also recommend toothpaste containing 1,000 parts per million fluoride for older children. For adults, up to 1500 ppm fluoride can be used without any concerns.

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