Fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral that can improve dental health, is a contaminant that is intentionally added into tap water in all 50 states to treat people, rather than treat water. 

Water fluoridation, which is the practice of adding fluoride to public water supplies is a highly debated topic. Some support adding the mineral to public water supplies for the sake of everyone’s dental health, while others believe it can cause more harm than good in the long run. Additionally, fluoride consumption is involuntary as there is no way to opt out of fluoridation in your tap water. 

Many are familiar with fluoride as the main ingredient in toothpaste, but it is actually a toxin and the reason why your toothpaste label warns against swallowing the toothpaste. If we shouldn’t ingest the fluoride within toothpaste, why are we consuming it in our water?

The unfortunate truth is that fluoride may not be as harmless as once believed, especially as the sources of dietary fluoride increase. Furthermore, recent scientific evidence suggests fluoride is more effective when topically applied rather than ingested. 

Read on to learn more about the process of fluoridation and the hazards of long term exposure to fluoride.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can be released from rocks into the soil, water, and air. It is a compound derived from fluorine—the earth’s 13th most abundant element. Fluoride is naturally present in groundwater, freshwater, and saltwater, as well as in rainwater, particularly in urban areas.

In small doses, it can prevent cavities or tooth decay.

Fluoride is a contaminant that is intentionally added to public water sources. Regardless of whether you’re in support of fluoridation or you’re against the practice, one thing is for sure: too much of a good thing can have consequential effects. Even amongst reputable agencies that support water fluoridation, there is a consensus that any amount past a certain threshold will lead to adverse health risks.  

As it stands, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established the maximum contaminant level (MCL) for fluoride at 4 parts per million (ppm), with a secondary standard of no more than 2 ppm to protect children from fluorosis. Secondary standards are guidelines, not enforceable regulations, but public water supplies are required to inform their customers if the fluoride level exceeds it. 

However, experts at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an activist group that specializes in research and advocacy in water contaminants, suggest that the limit is not low enough to be effective at protecting vulnerable groups from ingesting excessive amounts of fluoride. They estimate that at least 20% of babies under 2 years old will end up ingesting too much fluoride, especially those that are exclusively fed powdered baby formula mixed with tap water. 

As for other agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends the optimal level of fluoride in water is no higher than 0.7 ppm, whereas the World Health Organization’s guideline for fluoride is 1.5 ppm. Regardless of your stance on water fluoridation, it is clear that high exposure to fluoride is not conducive to public health.

As a compound of one of the most abundant elements in the environment, fluoride can enter our water sources naturally as water passes through fluoride-rich soil, but, for the most part, our exposure to fluoride comes from water fluoridation. 

Fluoridation is a process in which small amounts of fluoride is added to municipal water supplies in an effort to make fluoride more accessible to the population and improve dental health.

Historically, water fluoridation was introduced in 1945, after scientists noted that people living in areas with higher water fluoride levels had fewer cavities. In 1962, the United States Public Health Service recommended that public water supplies contain fluoride to prevent tooth decay. 

Water fluoridation is determined by state and local governments with technical support from the Department of Health and Human Services. The practice is not governed by the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Though fluoridation was introduced as a way to improve dental health and prevent cavities, excess amounts of fluoride can have the opposite effect, resulting in tooth decay and other adverse health effects. 

High exposure to fluoride can lead to dental or skeletal fluorosis, which can result in osteosclerosis, the calcification of tendons and ligaments, and bone deformities. The excess fluoride can replace calcium in your teeth and bones, leading to weak, brittle bones and serious damage. The EWG estimates that 40% of Americans struggle with some form of fluorosis, ranging from mild to severe. 

Additional health risks of high fluoride exposure include:

• Thyroid dysfunction: potentially leading to hypothyroidism, which is a condition where the thyroid gland is underactive and doesn’t produce enough hormones. The symptoms of hypothyroidism include weight gain, depression, low energy levels, and additional complications specific to infants, children, and teens. 

• Depletion of calcium in bone structures and higher-than-normal concentrations of calcium in the blood, making bones more susceptible to fractures

• Cardiovascular problems, including arteriosclerosis and arterial calcification, high blood pressure, myocardial damage, cardiac insufficiency, and heart failure

• Reproductive issues, such as lower fertility and early puberty in girls

Rest assured, our water filtration systems are designed to remove up to 99.5% of fluoride – and its different compounds – so that you are in complete control of your fluoride consumption. Every Clearly Filtered filtration system is powered by our proprietary Affinity® Filtration Technology, which uses a blend of 6 filtration media to capture contaminants at microscopic levels.

Our Water Pitcher with Affinity® Filtration Technology can remove up to 99.5% of fluoride, up to 99.49% of fluosilicate, and up to 99.52% of fluosilicic acid. 

Our Filtered Water Bottles can remove up to 99.52% of sodium fluoride, while our 3-Stage Under the Sink Water Filter System and Universal Inline Fridge Filter both remove up to 90.65% of sodium fluoride.

As an added bonus, our filters target hundreds of other contaminants so that you can be sure you are always drinking the cleanest and safest water.