Flouride Supplements

[silverangel]

I had flouride tablets as a child and my mum has mentioned she thinks I should be giving to my DTs. I asked the dentist and she was a bit clueless and I haven't found any sound info either way on line.

I live in a non-flouridated area, should I be giving supplements does any one give flouride?

Thanks

I read something recently which said there's no evidence that ingesting flouride has any benefits at all, that it's only topical application which has an effect. The author of the article reckoned the only reason we flouridise the water is ghat it's a waste product of industry, and big business have managed to convince everyone it's a good idea to do do when actually the evidence isn't there.

I've read other articles which think actually flouride in the water could be poisonous.

I have no idea if this is true! I've filed it under something to look up when I have some time! So i'm interested to see what comes up on this thread

Fwiw I live in a non flouridated area too. The HV said to use adult toothpaste for DS

The problem with supplements is if the child gets too much they get nasty marks (permanent) on their teeth. Are you also sure you are not in a naturally fluoridated area (eg. Aberdeen?). This is the best info I could find.

I'm a dentist and I wouldn't bother giving them to my children. A diet low in sugar and use of a fluoride toothpaste twice a day is enough to protect the teeth. Fluoride occurs naturally in the water in many countries and I believe it is still added to the water in Birmingham so I don't agree with scare stories about it being dangerous. I just think a good diet and oral hygiene regime are more important for oral health.

our water is not fluoridated either (Scotland) and we are advised to use a toothpaste with at least 1000ppm fluoride from when the kids first start brushing their teeth.

I gave my foreign born DD fluoride supplements. She has cracking teeth.
OTOH, her Swiss dentist told me continued use puts children at risk of osteoporosis. Not sure how true that is.
He advised using adult toothpaste instead.

Just because something appears naturally doesn't mean it's harmless. That's a completely bogus argument and I'm surprised to hear this kind of argument from as dentist - I would expect a more scientific approach!

10 seconds of "research" brought this up from wikipedia:

"Ingestion of fluoride can produce gastrointestinal discomfort at doses at least 15 to 20 times lower (0.2?0.3 mg/kg) than lethal doses ... chronic exposure to fluoride in large amounts interferes with bone formation. In this way, the greatest examples of fluoride poisoning arises from fluoride-rich ground water."

"In India an estimated 60 million people have been poisoned by well water contaminated by excessive fluoride, which is dissolved from the granite rocks. The effects are particularly evident in the bone deformations of children. Similar or larger problems are anticipated in other countries including China, Uzbekistan, and Ethiopia."

My point here is not that flouride is (is isn't) harmful in the water we drink, but that just because something occurs naturally doesn't mean it's safe!

I was sent this recently m.youtube.com/%23/watch?desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Da0h4oKSCaIY%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded%26fwcc%3D1%26fwcl%3D1%26fwl&fwl=&fwcc=1&fwcl=1&feature=player_embedded&v=a0h4oKSCaIY&gl=GB.
I thought it was quite interesting. We were given fluoride tablets at school when I was a kid (in Scotland). Didn't help me much, I have terrible teeth!

Interesting piece from the Guardian on fluoride

teeth, and an argument that's full of holes www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/feb/09/medicalresearch.health

Oops I'll try that again!

Interesting piece from the Guardian on fluoride:

Fluoride, teeth, and an argument that's full of holes