Looks like dentists in Florida are about to make a killing.
this post was submitted on 30 Apr 2025
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Dumb question: if this becomes countrywide, can we do it ourselves? Like, add fluoride and what have you to our tap water?
As far as I know there's not a way to just add it to the house supply, like they do with water softeners in some places, but you can get drops you can add to an individual glass of water. There are also tablets you can take. What I do at this point is use a fluoride mouthwash in the evening (the purple listerine; you have to avoid eating or drinking for 30 minutes after using it, so the evening is convenient that way) and also get the fluoride treatment at my dental hygienist appointments, along with using a fluoride toothpaste (which you're most likely already using).
It's a hassle, though, especially during the transition. When I moved out here, my teeth got worse in a hurry until I adapted to this new routine.
Some public water naturally has flouride in it without adding it. IIRC it was high flouride well water in Colorado that revealed its benefits You can also use flouride rinses or just not rinse after brushing. This doesn't help kids though, which as I understand it are the primary beneficiaries of flouride in waterr.
The other state is Utah.
9/10 Evil dentists approve
The three people who still have teeth in Florida are in trouble now.
Yanks love to stereotype Brits as having bad teeth when statically your teeth have more cavities and removals (our dentistry focuses on health over cosmetics). Hopefully shit like this can fully kill that off that stereotype.
The UK largely doesn't fluoridate, so this is one of the (few) areas where the US actually does better than the UK. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation_by_country
The UK does generally have better tooth health in the grand scheme of things, but it's actually pretty close, and the US is still really high on the list.
https://www.yongeeglintondental.com/blog/healthy-primary-teeth/
Without checking, I suspect the US's slightly higher cavity rate is more down to sugar consumption than received dental care.
Did you read the rest of the Wikipedia article? How is better to add fluoride in the amounts the US does? It says in the Wikipedia article:
Recent studies suggest that water fluoridation, particularly in industrialized countries, may be unnecessary because topical fluorides (such as in toothpaste) are widely used and cavity rates have become low. For this reason, some scientists consider fluoridation to be unethical due to the lack of informed consent. However, a recent study funded by NHS found no significant difference between individuals who receive fluoridated water and those who don't in terms of missing teeth and reducing social inequities.
There is evidence that there is a correlation between fluoride in water and lower IQ in children. It's difficult to show causation, but it's something that should be investigated. Pausing fluoridation while this happens would seem sensible.
I think this is the first time I've ever defended something these arseholes have done. Feels weird.
There are actually studies that support this person's point. There's are correlations between the quantity of fluoride in water and non-neurotypical characteristics in children. There are also links between fluoride and small deceases in IQ.
Take a look at some studies and be open to complication: fluoride is good for teeth and prevents cavities in low doses, but it also has some potentially serious side-effects. We should absolutely be doing more research on this.
The mean IQ level was more in the region with medium fluoride concentration in drinking water (56.68) compared to areas with low fluoride concentration (41.03) and high fluoride concentration (31.59).
So according to that study, having "medium levels" (1.2-2ppm) of fluoride is much better. I checked three random water reports in Florida which had 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 ppm.
They also fucked up this graph
Notice the x axis
flouride also stregnthens the teeth, its a fact. the anti-flouride people still complaining how they are getting cavaties despite using all thse flouride free toothpastes. alot of them ventured into using n-HA as a replacement, but the effects are very unpredictable and hasnt be reliabe, i think you need confirmed 10% n-HA for the toothpaste to repair the teeth.
but the effects are very unpredictable and hasnt be reliabe
I have read many opinions from dentists, educated by the latest research, who claim otherwise.
Hydroxyapatite toothpaste has been on the market for a long time in Japan, and their statistics do not suggest that there is rampant decay in their population.
Topically applied fluoride only remineralizes the surface enamel, however, it is more resistant to acid-attack. The typical American diet and oral care habits make this a more desirable choice for those who are unwilling to commit to a consistent oral hygeine routine (and changing their diet + snacking/drinking habits).
Nano-Hydroxyapatite is similar to actual tooth structure and occludes dentinal tubules. This means it has superior remineralization capabilities, as it penetrates deeper into the tooth structure. For me, this has greatly reduced the sensitivity I have experienced (which is why I switched).
While the research has not quite caught up, it seems ideal that one ceases using fluoride toothpaste for a period of a few weeks to a few months and uses only nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste to remineralize the parts that fluoride doesn't, and if their oral care routine isn't sufficient or they are showing signs of decay (due to e.g. acid attack or improper flossing/etc.), they then should use fluoride toothpaste exclusively after that point in time (until sensitivity occurs), or a mixture of the two toothpastes (such as using a product like CariFree, which contains both), as this will make the surfaces of their teeth more resistant to acid.
Now, as for fluoride added to the water supply, it's mostly useless to your teeth. Fluoride's benefits are topical, and most people do not give it a sufficient time to work (by leaving it on the teeth for 30 minutes). The fluoridated water doesn't stay on your teeth long enough to outweigh the benefits of proper toothpaste usage/application.
Even if studies in third world countries or other countries (like Canada) suggest there is a benefit to fluoridating the water supply, an increase in dental education (especially in parents with children) would be sufficient to outweigh the supposed negatives of ceasing a largely ineffective practice. Or through the regulation of foods and drinks that are known to directly contribute to the development of caries (especially in products targeting children).
Tooth decay doesn't magically happen, there are specific causes for it. Like repeatedly applying acids to the teeth (e.g. soda) without rinsing it off with water or leaving plaque on the teeth (which produces acid) - which inevitably hardens to tartar and leads to a cascade of effects on oral and gum health, including more acid production. Dry mouth is another big reason for decay, as saliva plays a big role in remineralization.
If dental care and education were more accessible, more people would know about fluoride/nano-hydroxyapatite varnishes or would have trays made that they use overnight to remineralize their teeth. The benefits of water fluoridation are nil compared to the effectiveness of prescription (or regular) fluoride toothpastes and a proper oral care routine/diet interventions. Regular interventions from hygienists and licensed dentists - like dental cleanings/check-ups every 6 months are also imperative for oral health.
i think you need confirmed 10% n-HA for the toothpaste to repair the teeth.
According to case studies, 1-3% (of nanoXIM) is optimal for safety, sensitivity, remineralization, and whitening.
the state is named after flouride, FLOURIDA
I believe that is not the etymology, and also you spelled flouride wrong.
Bring back asbestos, Florida! And leaded gasoline!
And gas station bath salts!
You've been Jammed!
"Sir! The radar! It appears to be - jammed!"
And raspberry... I hate raspberry!
Leave Florida if you can. Especially if you have or are expecting children. Moving isn't always possible, but if you live in Florida know that your state is actively trying to hurt you.
You don't need municipal water to be fluoridated if you just want your kids to have fluoridation. When I was a kid, we didn't have fluoridation available in our municipal water, and so my folks got themselves a water cooler and ordered delivery of five gallon bottles of fluoridated water for it. Mom made a point of making milk with it from powdered milk so that everyone got their fluoridation. You can still get those bottles.
I mean, I'm sure that the great bulk of people aren't going to do that, and that it's going to lead to dental problems down the line, but it's not like an individual can't get ahold of the water if they want it. Costs more per unit of water volume to have it delivered than to pipe it in, but then, you're not drinking all that much volume of water, either; most residential water use goes to things other than drinking.
EDIT: Plus, if you have a water cooler, you also can have chilled water. We didn't have a powered cooler; ours was just an unpowered, gravity-fed dispenser, but all of the modern-day ones I've run into in offices have a chiller.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=water+dispenser+cooler
If I lived in (tropical) Florida, I'd probably want to have chilled water handy...