Fluoride is interesting element in biology. People need exact range of fluoride in food and water equal to what naturally present in nature, no less, no more. Around 0.5 mg/liter (0.5ppm or 0.00005%). Noticeably less fluoride input cause problems, Noticeably more fluoride input also cause problems, And problems from more fluoride is worse than problems from less fluoride. With less fluoride you will get British rotten teeth and slightly more brittle bones. With more fluoride you will get that too, but also a whole range of different problems from guts to mind.
In Russia fluoride concentration of more than 1.5 mg/liter (1.5ppm) in drinking water accounted as harmful and if tap water have more fluoride in some region, it should be defluoridated before ditribution. Most fresh water in Russia have level of fluoride slightly less than normal, but it never fluoridated at enterprise level. Disinfection on water plants is done using chlorine or ozone. There was experiments with other disinfectants, including different shit like PHMG and other substances, but AFAIK fluoride compounds never tried.
As for toothpaste and insecticides, well sodium chloride is deadly for slugs, but we also use it as a table salt. Also notice "do not swallow" warning on toothpaste. However, it's hard thing to achieve when it comes to children. :)
Anyway, to get some clue about fluoride, you need to start from natural amount of fluoride in local fresh water sources. Check the water you drink and cook on for fluoride level, and then you could evaluate what's really going on.
F.e. if natural fresh water you drink and use for cooking already have enough fluoride in it, then there is no any need for fluoride in toothpaste of additional fluoridation of tap water and it definitely could be harmful. If natural fluoride level is low, then, this toothpaste could be really useful for your kids teeth.
The idiocy of modern marketing is absolute. Marketing is implementation of idiocy. And the case when something really useful and healthy in some specific conditions and environment for some specific thing is presented as always useful and healthy panacea is part of it.
Less fluoride doesn't cause problems. It's not passed to an infant via breast milk. It's just straight up poison to the body. The level 1ppm in water in the us was chosen because that's the level they thought problems wouldn't show up with, only that assumption was incorrect. A significant number of people were getting dental fluorosis. Current recommended levels had to be lowered.
Less fluoride doesn't cause problems. It's not passed to an infant via breast milk.
It is passed, just not in amount as in food and water. IIRC in milk something like 50 times less fluoride than average in consumed water.
Infant have soft bones and no teeth. Fluoride will be necessary later, when bones began to harden and teeth start to grow. Past breast feeding. If there will be no fluoride in food and water, then bones will remain soft and teeth will not develop hard enough. From the other side, if there will be too much fluoride, then bones and teeth again will become soft and brittle.
It's like a table salt in food. both too little salt and too much salt is dangerous.
The level 1ppm in water in the us
What is the natural level of fluoride in water sources in US? It could differ a lot from location to location and depends on season.
A significant number of people were getting dental fluorosis.
Easily. 1ppm looks twice than normal. And if they just add 1ppm to the natural water that have it's own level, it could be too much already. Also, you consume fluoride with food, where fluoride content is near natural level in fresh water at the location where food grown. So, even if they add only fluoride necessary to achieve 1ppm in tap water, it is accumulated with fluoride from food and could overcome the daily safe threshold (around few mg per day). If there are a lot of food with high fluoride amount like seafish and nuts, things could go way off.
Calcium compounds doping. Like carbon in steel. Without fluoride, bones become soft, less dense and more porous. You get osteoporosis. But if there is too much fluoride, then process go to the point when bones and teeth become too brittle. You get fluorosis.
Just like steel. Little carbon make steel soft and weak. Too much carbon make steel brittle. There should be exact amount of carbon in steel to make its properties optimal.
Same with fluoride.
PS: Interesting, that I observe exactly same pattern in many areas. Something declared harmful, and when people begin to pay attention, the narrative of complete refusal of that thing pushed heavily. F.e. same thing pushed about sugar.
And opposite thing also present. If something declared useful and/or healthy, it pushed to insane limits.
With fluoride you have both narratives pushed to different audiences. One is about fluoride ultimately good, another about fluoride ultimately bad. Both narratives are equally evil.
Fluoride is interesting element in biology. People need exact range of fluoride in food and water equal to what naturally present in nature, no less, no more. Around 0.5 mg/liter (0.5ppm or 0.00005%). Noticeably less fluoride input cause problems, Noticeably more fluoride input also cause problems, And problems from more fluoride is worse than problems from less fluoride. With less fluoride you will get British rotten teeth and slightly more brittle bones. With more fluoride you will get that too, but also a whole range of different problems from guts to mind.
In Russia fluoride concentration of more than 1.5 mg/liter (1.5ppm) in drinking water accounted as harmful and if tap water have more fluoride in some region, it should be defluoridated before ditribution. Most fresh water in Russia have level of fluoride slightly less than normal, but it never fluoridated at enterprise level. Disinfection on water plants is done using chlorine or ozone. There was experiments with other disinfectants, including different shit like PHMG and other substances, but AFAIK fluoride compounds never tried.
As for toothpaste and insecticides, well sodium chloride is deadly for slugs, but we also use it as a table salt. Also notice "do not swallow" warning on toothpaste. However, it's hard thing to achieve when it comes to children. :)
Anyway, to get some clue about fluoride, you need to start from natural amount of fluoride in local fresh water sources. Check the water you drink and cook on for fluoride level, and then you could evaluate what's really going on.
F.e. if natural fresh water you drink and use for cooking already have enough fluoride in it, then there is no any need for fluoride in toothpaste of additional fluoridation of tap water and it definitely could be harmful. If natural fluoride level is low, then, this toothpaste could be really useful for your kids teeth.
The idiocy of modern marketing is absolute. Marketing is implementation of idiocy. And the case when something really useful and healthy in some specific conditions and environment for some specific thing is presented as always useful and healthy panacea is part of it.
Less fluoride doesn't cause problems. It's not passed to an infant via breast milk. It's just straight up poison to the body. The level 1ppm in water in the us was chosen because that's the level they thought problems wouldn't show up with, only that assumption was incorrect. A significant number of people were getting dental fluorosis. Current recommended levels had to be lowered.
It is passed, just not in amount as in food and water. IIRC in milk something like 50 times less fluoride than average in consumed water.
Infant have soft bones and no teeth. Fluoride will be necessary later, when bones began to harden and teeth start to grow. Past breast feeding. If there will be no fluoride in food and water, then bones will remain soft and teeth will not develop hard enough. From the other side, if there will be too much fluoride, then bones and teeth again will become soft and brittle.
It's like a table salt in food. both too little salt and too much salt is dangerous.
What is the natural level of fluoride in water sources in US? It could differ a lot from location to location and depends on season.
Easily. 1ppm looks twice than normal. And if they just add 1ppm to the natural water that have it's own level, it could be too much already. Also, you consume fluoride with food, where fluoride content is near natural level in fresh water at the location where food grown. So, even if they add only fluoride necessary to achieve 1ppm in tap water, it is accumulated with fluoride from food and could overcome the daily safe threshold (around few mg per day). If there are a lot of food with high fluoride amount like seafish and nuts, things could go way off.
What biological role does fluoride play? The answer is none. It destroys the enamel when teeth are growing.
Calcium compounds doping. Like carbon in steel. Without fluoride, bones become soft, less dense and more porous. You get osteoporosis. But if there is too much fluoride, then process go to the point when bones and teeth become too brittle. You get fluorosis.
Just like steel. Little carbon make steel soft and weak. Too much carbon make steel brittle. There should be exact amount of carbon in steel to make its properties optimal.
Same with fluoride.
PS: Interesting, that I observe exactly same pattern in many areas. Something declared harmful, and when people begin to pay attention, the narrative of complete refusal of that thing pushed heavily. F.e. same thing pushed about sugar.
And opposite thing also present. If something declared useful and/or healthy, it pushed to insane limits.
With fluoride you have both narratives pushed to different audiences. One is about fluoride ultimately good, another about fluoride ultimately bad. Both narratives are equally evil.