Obviously, dental hygiene is a priority to conscientious parents. Yet, in spite of the improved toothpastes and professional dental techniques and equipment, more than one quarter of 2- to 5-year-olds and half of kids 12 to 15 years old have one or more cavities, and tooth decay has affected two thirds of 16- to 19-year-olds. Many feel that adding fluoride to public water is one way to curb the problem of tooth decay. But this opinion is in no way unanimous.

Fluoride is the 13th most common element in the Earth’s crust and exists naturally in water. Some water has sufficient natural fluoride. But what if it is not naturally present? Should fluoride be added to water systems? The debate about fluoride won’t be settled here. Rather, the purpose of this article is to consider a few of these points, and to give you some options. You need to know whether you need a fluoride water filter for your drinking water.

The pro side says, “For over 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries.” “It is well known that fluoride helps prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay.” “Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20-40%.” These quotes come from an MD.

The pro side says that fluoride decreases tooth decay in two ways. It works when it comes in contact with the surface of the teeth by preventing the acid made by the bacteria in plaque from dissolving, or demineralizing, tooth enamel. Second, it becomes part of the structure of developing teeth in children. Fluoride also encourages teeth damaged by acid to remineralize themselves. It can’t fix decayed teeth but can prevent new decay from occurring.

The other side makes statements like these: “. . . there is no difference in the tooth decay rates of the fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas surveyed.” They even claim that increased amount of fluoride in children also increases tooth decay.

Too much fluoride before 8 years of age, a time when teeth are developing, can cause enamel fluorosis, a discoloration or mottling of the permanent teeth. Sometimes the amount of fluoride ingested from the water and then through toothpaste and dental treatments can be too much.

At times the studies have not considered the long range effects of fluoride. The con side says it has been directly linked to cancer, changes in bone structure and strength, has caused birth defects and perinatal deaths, has impaired the immune system, caused initial stages of skeletal fluorosis, caused osteoarthritis, inhibits key enzymes, suppresses thyroid function and several other adverse problems.

What do they say about the studies that prove that fluoride is good for dental hygiene? The studies had several flaws. First, they did not consider the differences between “natural fluoride” (like CaF) and added fluoride (like NaF). Second, they did not consider the other minerals in the water and these could actually be the cause of decreased instances of tooth decay. Third, the studies lack statistical analysis. Fourth, dental fluorosis is the only safety experiment included.

If your conclusion from these points is that fluoride should not be in your drinking water, what can you if it is? Some opt for bottled water but this gets expensive. A better alternative is to purchase a water filter that removes fluoride. Some expensive units do this. Other less expensive units have optional fluoride filters. Berkey Water Filters, for example, has available an additional filter that can we attached below the regular charcoal filters and will remove fluoride from the water. If you don’t want fluoride, you don’t have to drink it.

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